INERME workshops

Alex Squires and Annika Johnson: Understanding the Transition from A-Levels to University

• The way in which A Level Maths and Economics is often taught and assessed differs from undergraduate studies.
• These differing practices may lead to challenges for students in their transition to university.
• Understanding the differences can help university lecturers in supporting students to make a smooth transition to university level study and assessment practices.

Adam Thompson: Supporting the Transition to University: Enhancing Student Engagement Through Peer Assisted Learning

• This presentation examines the implementation of a Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) scheme for first-year economics students, where second-year mentors provide informal academic support and facilitate group study sessions.
• What role can peer mentoring play in enhancing student engagement and fostering a sense of community? We explore how structured support from fellow students can shape the first-year learning experience.
• Attendees will gain insights into the practicalities of setting up a PAL scheme and the potential benefits it offers for both mentors and mentees in higher education.

Stefan Büchele: Divergence of Mathematical Knowledge and Self-Assessment: A Longitudinal Study from 2008 to 2024 (Slides PDF)

This study examines the long-term changes in mathematical skills and self-perceptions among first-year university students, focusing on self-concept, self-assessment, internal locus of control, and mathematics anxiety. Using a cohort design spanning 2008 to 2024, it analyzes how shifts in educational contexts, particularly those induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, influenced students’ mathematical competencies and their self-perception accuracy. Findings indicate a significant decline in mathematical skills post-2020, particularly among higher-skilled and female students. However, lower-skilled students showed increased self-assessment and self-concept levels, leading to a convergence between skill groups. Locus of control stabilized after a pre-pandemic decline, while mathematics anxiety decreased, particularly among males and higher-skilled students.

The weakening correlations between mathematical skills and self-perceptions suggest that students' self-evaluations became less reflective of their actual abilities post-pandemic. Possible explanations include reduced peer and instructor feedback, increased external attributions for academic outcomes, and a lack of clear performance benchmarks. These results highlight the need for targeted university interventions, such as enhanced diagnostic assessments and personalized feedback, to realign students' self-perceptions with their actual competencies. Addressing these misalignments is crucial for supporting academic transitions, particularly for lower-skilled students, and ensuring that self-perception remains a reliable predictor of educational success.
 

Further resources from this workshop:

• Maths Refresher resources from University of Warwick
• "Transitions into and through University" in The Handbook for Economics Lecturers
• "Assessing the Effectiveness of Peer Assisted Study Schemes": slides by Ralf Becker and Maggy Fostier from a session at DEE 2015
• Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education (TASO): Institutional data use
   

Programme and materials

A Refresher Maths for Economics pre-sessional course at Warwick (Slides PDF)
Emil Kostadinov

• (brief) motivation for developing a transition maths for economics course at Warwick.
• brief overview of the resources.
• discussion of the use of Numbas quizzes.

Transitioning to University: Teaching Statistics to Economics Students (Slides PDF)
Pascal Stiefenhofer

Shiny apps, leveraging interactive learning pedagogy, can play a crucial role in supporting students transitioning to university, especially those struggling with mathematics anxiety. These apps provide dynamic, user-friendly platforms that allow students to engage with statistical concepts through hands-on, visual, and interactive activities. By offering personalized feedback and real-time problem-solving tools, Shiny apps help demystify abstract statistical ideas, making them more accessible and less intimidating. This approach fosters a supportive learning environment, encouraging students to build confidence in their math skills and easing the anxiety often associated with the subject during the transition to higher education.

Bridging the gap: A mathematics intervention to enhance inclusivity and success in university economics - The case of the University of Agder in Norway (Slides PDF)
Ida Landgärds-Tarvoll

At the University of Agder in Norway, we addressed the high failure and dropout rates in 2018. We rescheduled the service mathematics course for economics students to the second semester and introduced a new pre-course intervention. This intervention included a diagnostic test and a bridging course to better prepare students. We utilised NUMBAS to develop the test and provide "training fields" for our students. This approach has been successful in encouraging students to take responsibility for their own learning. Through this project, we have enhanced inclusivity for all students pursuing economics studies.

If you are interested in this project, please do not hesitate to contact me (Ida.landgards at uia.no). Also, you can find relevant links to research conducted with this intervention in the Powerpoint presentation.

Programme and materials

Case Study of STACK assessments in Maths for Economists (Slides PDF)

Lisa Feiste (University of Kassel) and Raphael Mueller (University of Paderborn)

• Short write-up of this talk

Computer-aided assessment at J-BJI (Slides PDF)

Robert Leek (University of Birmingham)

• Short write-up of this talk

Tactical vs strategic maths skills (Slides .pptx)

Aleksandar Vasilev (Lincoln International Business School)

• Case study based on this talk
• students' incentives - the majority want to get a high pass with minimum studying. Idea of: pass, forget, and move to the next module
• exam time allows assessors to give short problems - straightforward application of formulae ("cramming")
• things change in Y2 and Y3 - when theory is taught with maths, and students need a "deep understanding" of the symbols and procedures (using maths as engineers)