Adapting Maths Support Centres to Webwork

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Adapting Maths Support Centres to Webwork

• Nuala Curley
• UCD

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Adapting Maths Support Centres to Webwork

• Increased use of online teaching resources.
• Research in Neuroscience.
• Maths Support Centres personal contact.
• Adapt webwork.

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What is WeBWorK?

• Internet-based system for generating tutorial
  exercises.
• Library of over 2500 problems.
• What areas are covered?

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How is WeBWorK used?

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

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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/setDerivatives5ChainRu
  le/s2_5_7.pg
• Edit it Try it

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Advantages

• Gradually build knowledge of a concept.
• Individualised versions.
• Limited trials.
• Thinking timemotivation.
• Immediate feedback.
• Sets automatically graded continuous monitoring.
  
• Very suitable for large classes.
• Not multi-choice.

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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.

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Entering difficulty

• BOMDAS eg
• If you enter 3/45 3.75
• but if you enter 3/(45) 3/20.
• Enter Sin2t you get (Sin(2))t.
• v(2x) must be entered as (2x)1/2.

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Further example of difficulty in entering data

• If you want to enter for example 23Sin24x
• 23sin2(4x) is wrong.
• You must enter something like
• 23(sin(4x))2
• or
• 23sin(4x)2.
• Students can use the "Preview Button" to see
  exactly how their entry looks.

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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 (-8,2)U(2,8) in this fashion only.

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Students have no understanding of topic.

• MSC then becomes a teacher of the topic from
  basics.

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How does this effect the Maths Support Centre?

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

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Significantly Reducing Difficulties

• Introductory course on entering data.
• Matching lecture, tutorial and webwork.

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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.

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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.