online student support via mathscasts birgit loch mathematics swinburne university of technology...
TRANSCRIPT
Online student support via MathsCasts
Birgit LochMathematicsSwinburne University of [email protected]
Olivia GillDepartment of Mathematics & StatisticsUniversity of [email protected]
Tony CroftMathematics Education CentreLoughborough [email protected]
2EMAC 2011
What are MathsCasts?• Short screen videos of mathematical explanation• Created with Camtasia Studio on a tablet PC• Can be played back on smart phones, i-devices,
computers. Online or offline.• Created by tutors in the Mathematics support
centres• Do not require expert technical knowledge or
A/V staff to produce
EMAC 2011
What are MathsCasts? (cont.)
• Funding at Limerick and Swinburne• About 250 produced so far• Available for free to anyone via iTunes U and
from http://mathscasts.org (e.g. Sarrus’ Rule)
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4EMAC 2011
Why are we producing them?• To extend support hours of the maths support
centres• To provide students with additional flexible learning
options• To bring mathematics support into the 21st century• To allow students to watch an explanation first,
before coming to the support centre (FAQ)• To cope with increasing demand (Australia) or
decreasing funding (Europe)
Focus on our students – anyone else who watches is a bonus
5EMAC 2011
Why are we not using what’s available already?
• Students identify with their university. Personalised. Topics our students struggle with.
• Students can visit the tutor who recorded in the support centre. Familiar voice.
• Faster to record than find exactly what you are looking for.
• Because mathematicians just don’t!???• Research into enhanced student learning and best
practice of creation from maths support perspective.
6EMAC 2011
Production of MathsCasts• Topics are identified at all three unis• Recorded by tutors: local needs come first• Reviewed by tutors/lecturers (guidelines to check
for quality – what do you reject?)• Keeping track via Google Spreadsheet (also
includes metadata)• Credit slides at start and end• Creative Commons licence
7EMAC 2011
Google Docs Spreadsheet
8EMAC 2011
First frame
9EMAC 2011
Final frame
10EMAC 2011
The Pilot
• Cohorts selected at each university• Feedback from students
At this stage: only interested in how our students use MathsCasts and what impact it has on their learning.
EMAC 2011
Loughborough• Differential Equations unit: 1st/2nd year maths
majors, 220 students• Feedback on teaching quality: 139 responses• MathsCasts not mentioned on form, but 12
students commented on MathsCasts:– “the videos of the solutions [to tutorial questions …]
were very useful”– “the course materials including screencasts were all
very good/clearly thought out”– “do more video solutions on [the LMS]”– “more video for different examples”
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EMAC 2011
Loughborough (cont.)• Unsolicited email from student with Autism Spectrum
Disorder:– Finds “lecture halls and tutorial rooms confusing and
distracting”– “since I found the screencasts the module has been
transformed”– Can be played back in quiet environment: “It is like having a
teacher on demand.”
– Suggests: double speed playback for native speakers: “For example the night before the exam, I watched the screencasts at double-speed and this allowed my memory to be refreshed quickly.”
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EMAC 2011
Limerick• Head Start Maths, 1 week revision programme• Questionnaire at end of week• 16 of 36 students used MathsCasts on daily basis• All 16 found MathsCasts useful: replay, revisit
from home, pause, “consolidate some things […] learned earlier in the week”
• “Good way to prepare for the lecture”• “They explain what the reason for using a
particular formula or rule is“
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EMAC 2011
Limerick (cont.)• 15 of the 16 students believed that conceptual
understanding could be enhanced by watching MathsCasts. Reasons:– learning at your own pace– clear explanation of concepts– reinforcement of what was covered in class– “Different stimulation”
• Improvements: create more MathsCasts
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EMAC 2011
SwinburneTwo parts to the pilot• S1 2011
– Available on the MASH (Maths and Stats Help) Centre website.
– Advertised during orientation session to all new first years– 144 responses to survey across four 1st year mathematics
units for Engineering, Science and Aviation students– Value: “pause and review steps”, “step-by-step solution”– 10 had watched the screencasts– “Wasn't aware of them”, “I know that they are there but I
never seem to get round to them”
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EMAC 2011
Swinburne (cont.)• S2 2011– Integrated on LMS site for Engineering Mathematics 2– Active promotion in lectures, and via announcements– Feedback early in semester (n=13):
• 40% fastforward, rewind to concentrate on most helpful sections
• 30% pause and think about an explanation• 45% watch an explanation, then try the problem themselves• >50% watch a screencast more than once
– “I think other than lectures and tutorials, Mathscasts are the most powerful tools. Simply the best.”
Students asked to have second year covered as well16
17EMAC 2011
Summary of feedback• Students love MathsCasts. Will they still turn
up for lectures?• Most useful features:– Off campus support– Concise, clear– Can pause, rewind, replay, fast forward
EMAC 2011
Issues• Navigation, quick location of relevant MathsCasts, for– students enrolled in specific units – Students visiting maths support centres– students who come to the maths support website– anyone else who is interested
• Different levels of explanation across universities– Assuming different backgrounds– Variety of programs with mathematical content
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EMAC 2011
Some research directions
• Effectiveness of MathsCasts for support• Active learning through MathsCasts• Instructional design of MathsCasts• Transferability of MathsCasts
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EMAC 2011
Please review some MathsCasts and provide feedback!
Needed for:• Quality control• Improvements
Go to: http://mathscasts.org
A big thank you to the Swinburne Library staff who’ve made MathsCasts available on Swinburne Commons and iTunes U and for the design of the MathsCasts logo!
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