Abstract:

This new 1-1 mathematics support system can be designed to provide essential key mathematics skills needed in a range of different subject areas across the different disciplines within the university. Within the School of Engineering, this system first investigates the level of mathematics skills of all year 1 students entering a range of engineering courses at the University of Central Lancashire. Its then identifies the proportion of students with low key mathematics skills who may find it difficult to cope with mathematical and analytical parts of the engineering course. If a robust 1-1 maths support system can be put in place which can help these students first build their basic maths skills and also help with the mathematics course material throughout the year then it is envisaged that there should be less students failing at the end of the year. Clearly, this will help with progression and retention figures which are important metrics for the University sector as a whole. There are many disciplines across universities ranging from Business, Finance, Economics and so forth that rely heavily on the students having key unpinning mathematics skills and as such this system of support may prove to be a useful way of supporting the students through their chosen course of study. Similar approaches could also be made adaptive to other areas of study which rely heavily on key underpinning skills across the higher education sector.

Keywords:

1-1 support, key skills, diagnostic assessment, engineering mathematics.