Adapting Maths Support Centres to Webwork

Nuala Curley

UCD

Adapting Maths Support Centres to Webwork

• Increased use of online teaching resources.

• Research in Neuroscience.

• Maths Support Centres: personal contact.

• Adapt webwork.

What is WeBWorK?

• Internet-based system for generating tutorial exercises.

• Library of over 2500 problems.• What areas are covered?

How is WeBWorK used?

• Use Library problems. • Edit problems.• Write your own problems.

Example Don't show this problem on the next update. Add this problem to the target set on the next update.

If f(x)=Cos (sin(x2)) , find f’(x)

Find f’(2).

File name: Library/maCalcDB/setDerivatives5ChainRule/s2_5_7.pg

Edit it Try it

Advantages

• Gradually build knowledge of a concept.• Individualised versions.• Limited trials.• Thinking time:motivation.

• Immediate feedback.• Sets automatically graded :continuous monitoring.

• Very suitable for large classes.• Not multi-choice.

Disadvantages

Student difficulties:• Entering data.• Prior knowledge may be needed.• Students have no understanding of topic.Lecturer difficulties:• Takes time to become familiar with its use

and build up a well designed set of questions to match your course.

Support Centre difficulties: • unnecessary extra work.

Entering difficulty

• BOMDAS eg • If you enter 3/4*5 = 3.75

but if you enter 3/(4*5) = 3/20.

• Enter Sin2t you get (Sin(2))*t.

• √(2x) must be entered as (2x)1/2.

Further example of difficulty in entering data

If you want to enter for example 2+3Sin24x

2+3sin^2(4x) is wrong. You must enter something like:

2+3(sin(4x))^2 or

2+3sin(4x)^2.

Students can use the "Preview Button" to see exactly how their entry looks.

Prior knowledge may be needed

• For example to answer a question on the domain of a function students must be familiar with interval notation.

• Q1. What is the domain of

• f(x)=(x2-4)/(x-2) where x is a real number.

• Input (-∞,2)U(2,∞) in this fashion only.

Students have no understanding of topic.

MSC then becomes a teacher of the topic from basics.

How does this effect the Maths Support Centre?

Considerable extra work for the centre:• Inputting data.• Covering prior knowledge required.• Teaching.

Significantly Reducing Difficulties

• Introductory course on entering data.

• Matching lecture, tutorial and webwork.

Trial planned next year for Commerce students in UCD

• Size of class: approx 600.

• Small size tutorials.

• Short webwork at end of the tutorial.

• Marks allocated for webwork, mid term exam and final exam.

Conclusion

• Excellent Resource.

• Use of it needs careful preparation and planning.

• Research needed to ascertain its true value.

• Library needs constant updating with increase in level of courses covered.