Enhancing Math Learning with Online Student Support via MathsCasts

1. Online student support via MathsCasts Birgit Loch MathematicsSwinburne University of Technology bloch@swin.edu.au Olivia Gill Department of Mathematics & StatisticsUniversity of Limerick Olivia.Gill@ul.ie Tony Croft Mathematics Education CentreLoughborough University a.c.croft@lboro.ac.uk

2. 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

3. 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)

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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

7. Google Docs Spreadsheet

8. First frame

9. Final frame

10. 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.

11. 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”

12. 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.”

13. 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“

14. 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

15. Swinburne Two 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”

16. 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 well

17. 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

18. 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

19. Some research directions • Effectiveness of MathsCasts for support • Active learning through MathsCasts • Instructional design of MathsCasts • Transferability of MathsCasts

20. 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!