Student Success (EDI) is delighted to congratulate Dr. Alexandra Moores and Mr Francis Samra from the Division of Natural Sciences, who were recently announced as winners of a Learning Science Teaching Innovation Award 2020.
Learning Science aims to support innovation that positively impacts teaching quality and enhances student learning, with the annual Teaching Innovation Awards presented to applicants who can demonstrate innovation in teaching and learning in their institution through the use of Learning Science resources. Commenting on the School of Bioscience’s project, the Learning Science judging panel highlighted that “. . . the use of an ‘out of the box’ targeted teaching tool to support mathematics in science, will have a huge impact on students and help to identify those who need additional support”.
Skills in mathematics form a key aspect of Natural Science degree programmes at the University of Kent. With the cancellation of A-level/ BTEC examinations, lack of in-school teaching and lockdown fatigue resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, it was predicted that some students may struggle with the necessary mathematics skills in the first year of their degree.
Led by Dr Alexandra Moores and supported Mr Francis Samra, Dr Ewan Clarke and Dr Kyra De Coninck, the Division of Natural Sciences (including the Schools of Biosciences, Physical Science and Sport and Exercise Science) produced an interactive online Smart Worksheet to identify such students. The Smart Worksheet encompassed fundamental mathematical principles in a range of presentation styles to ascertain not only the theoretical areas but additionally how the problems appear (i.e. graphically, tabular, written format) that students might find problematic.
The Smart Worksheet assessed both individual student and entire cohort understanding across Natural Sciences. Academics across multiple programmes throughout the whole division, were then able to adapt and shape future lectures and resources to support student learning success and direct support to where it is most useful. For the School of Biosciences specifically, it identified that 40% of incoming students did not have adequate mathematical skills, thus assessment facilitated the implementation of additional support strategies for those students.
Funding for the Smart Worksheet online resource was provided to the Division of Natural Sciences by Student Success (EDI), as part of its collaboration with the division to introduce targeted Student Success interventions, designed to address factors/barriers which have been identified through Student Success (EDI) Research as triggering lower rates of attainment, continuation and progression.