adapting maths support centres to webwork
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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.
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