Presentation by Dr Stephen Hibberd

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Presentation by Dr Stephen Hibberd School of
Mathematical Sciences, University of Nottingham
MELEES an environment to support dyslexic
students? Project Team Dr Stephen Hibberd,
Dr Cliff Litton Claire Chambers,
Matthew Heath, Peter Rowlett
University of Nottingham E-learning Development
Funded project
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Overview

• Background perspective
• University of Nottingham
• School of Mathematical Sciences
• MELEES Implementation 2002-2004
• Examples of MELEES environment
• Case studies monitoring and feedback
• MELEES Dealing with learning disabilities

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Background
The University of Nottingham welcomes
applications from all students. Our aim is to
provide a high level of support and guidance from
the moment you first enquire to the moment you
graduate. part
of disability statement (2002)

• University Web Site Significant investment in
  a new CMS system to roll-out at least AA
  conformance on Main and School web sites
• Study Support Centre - offer specific assistance
  to students with disabilities that affect their
  academic studies
• Office of Disability Issues making the
  physical environment
• accessible
• Staff and Educational Development Unit (SEDU)
• Project Models, Methods and Materials
  Departmental Strategies for
• supporting Disabled Students (case studies in
  selected Schools)
• Sessions on disability issues to new staff
  (PGCHE) and staff
• development
• Disability Liaison Officer (DLO) coordinate
  liaison in each School

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Background Statistics I
University wide - students declaring a
disability 2001/2 6.3, 2001/2 8.2, 2002/3
4.7
Disability statistics by School (undergraduate)
2002/3
School Total declared Mathematical
Sciences 441 6 Chem. Env. Eng 285
8 Civil Eng 318 8 Elec Elec 429
8 Mech, Mats, Man Eng 734 10 Built
Eviron. 634 8 Chemistry 430 10 Physics
Astron. 413 8 University 15491
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Background Statistics II
Disability type by School (undergraduate) 2002/3
School Total dyslexic
visually unseen impaired disabilit
y Mathematical Sciences 33 17
3 64 Chem.
Env. Eng 26 31
4 58 Civil Eng 30
50 0
40 Elec Elec 36 33
11 42 Mech,
Mats, Man Eng 85 50
0 38 Built Environ.
57 40 4
46 Chemistry 50 24
1
63 Physics Astron. 35 26
4 41 University
1304 26 3
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MELEES is a web-based environment to support
non-specialist mathematics students taking
University level mathematics
Service Mathematics provision at
Nottingham Foundation 3 modules 50
students (per Semester) Engineering First
Year 12 modules 800
students (per Semester) Engin. Built Env.
Physics, Chemistry

Second Year
6 modules 400 students (per Semester)
Engineering Third/Fourth Year 5 modules
300 students (per Session)
Engineering UNiM 5
modules 100 students (per Semester)
Engineering
Lectures remain a well-tested and successful
approach to Mathematics teaching. MELEES is to
help provide a comprehensive programme of support
to enable high quality learning.
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Rationale

• information about the mathematics provision and
  individual modules
• supports the transition to University level
  mathematics
• learning materials and motivation to support
  lectures
• comprehensive and coordinated access to module
  specific materials
• provide access to external learning and
  self-assessment materials
• motivation through links to their subject
  curriculum
• helping students refine their own learning
  strategies
• provision of a framework for feedback,
  information and dissemination to students, their
  lecturers, teaching support and client schools.

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Implementation
Phase 1 Pilot implementations for Session
2002-3 Autumn Semester 1 module Spring
Semester 4 modules Feedback from web-logs
and email student questionnaire

• Phase 2 For the Session 2003-4 the provision
  extended to 18 modules (all first and second
  year modules approx. 2000 students, 20
  teaching staff) enabled by
• generic module template
• guidance on good practice
• informing and involving module teaching staff
• minimum core requirements for each module
• exemplar materials available to module staff
• project support to module conveners

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Examples of MELEES environment
WebCT underpins the Environment as the Content
Management System (CMS) individual student
configuration Access to MELEES is through
internet access on or off campus Trial version
URL www.maths.nottingham.ac.uk/melees Username
melees 2003, password melees 2003
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Examples of MELEES environment
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Examples of MELEES environment
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Examples of MELEES environment
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Examples of MELEES environment
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Dissemination - Phase 2

• 1910 new students, over 72,000 hits
• Approx 1,380 students logged in after the end of
  formal teaching
• Over 170 hours spent viewing general support
  workbooks
• Over 100 responses to email survey prior to exam
• 97 perceived it to be helpful
• Extremely positive feedback from lecturers and
  students.

Usage of MELEES
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Student Feedback - Phase 2

• The best module website I have available to me.
• All inclusive, well organised web site, a
  perfect example on excellent teaching resources,
  which other modules could follow
• A brilliant, useful website, that has helped a
  lot. It is the most organised, professional
  module I have been lectured.
• Very useful, as I have access in my room, and
  its easy to look up if I am stuck with anything.
• Good job! Thanks a lot for creating the MELEES
  website! I feel much more convenient for
  collecting useful information if theres no
  lecturer at hand! Do wish you go on making the
  site better!

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Disability Case Study I

• Partially sighted student having difficulty
  reading some documents
• Best format identified
• Key documents converted
• Separate area created and populated with
  different format
• Individual access to area
• High contrast for ease of use
• Continued liaison with student for future
  modules

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Disability Case Study I
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Disability Case Study II Student usage
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Student Tracking Facility
Student strategies can be deduced from usage
information
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Disability Support in MELEES
Extend MELEES by focussing on implementation of
an e-learning environment and evaluation of good
practice for the support of students who have
dyslexia or are partially sighted, with a focus
on mathematical formulae, algebraic manipulation
and graphical display. extension to MELEES
project to December 2004
1. Dedicated URL to access the CMS system -
user-friendly to disability students and
detailing relevant local information. (eg
replacement of FLASH animations, larger icons,
info. to teaching staff) 2. Local and other
briefing documents available to teaching staff on
disability issues (eg Disability issues in
mathematics Heath Rowlett 2004) 3. Simple
mechanism for disabled students to enable access
to individually configured mathematical resources

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Disability Support in MELEES
4 Module templates on MELEES to be configured to
good practice guidelines. 5. Best practice
guidelines, suggestions and examples (made
readily available in teaching resources to
teaching staff on MELEES as a resource) 6. Enable
special provisions made for individual students
to be reusable to others. 7. Enable monitoring of
learning preferences of disability students to be
monitored to provide evidence-base for further
developments. 8. To enable effective evaluation
of the teaching provision to students with
disabilities (inclusiveness)