Carrots, sticks, and engagement and assessment strategies (case study) Sean Ryan School of Physics, Astronomy and Mathematics Mathematics culture • Numerate, logical & methodical • rich in concepts and their application Case module •1 st year, Sem. A. Module taken by all (~100) 1 st year maths students: “Financial and Actuarial Mathematics” • All materials on StudyNet – so some students think they can “go solo”
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Mathematics culture Numerate, logical & methodical rich in concepts and their application
Carrots, sticks, and engagement and assessment strategies (case study) Sean Ryan School of Physics, Astronomy and Mathematics. Mathematics culture Numerate, logical & methodical rich in concepts and their application Case module - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Carrots, sticks, and engagement and assessment strategies
(case study)
Sean RyanSchool of Physics, Astronomy and Mathematics
Mathematics culture• Numerate, logical & methodical• rich in concepts and their application
Case module• 1st year, Sem. A. Module taken by all (~100) 1st year maths
students: “Financial and Actuarial Mathematics”• All materials on StudyNet
– so some students think they can “go solo”
The problem: persistent high failure rates
Impervious to style of teaching:• change of lecturer: DTB = 36%, SGR = 37% s.e.≈4%
no significant difference
• labs/no labs: labs = 37%, none = 37% s.e.≈3%(use class time “better”; move “lab” work to assignments)no significant difference; labs not a motivator
2
Academic year 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12
Post-resit failure rate (%)
30 39 32 41 41
Lecturer DTB SGR SGR DTB SGR
Labs held? labs labs N labs N
The problem: persistent high failure rates
Attendance important in PAM• Clear correlations between attendance and grade:
missing 1 class [e.g. out of 24] = lower grade by ~2-3%• Students with lower UCAS scores attend fewer classes• → PAM retention strategy focuses on achieving high
By week 4, attendance drifting down, despite higher UCAS points and EVS use (from wk 3)
...what to do? 8
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Att
enda
nce
(%)
Week number during 12 week semester
06/07
07/08
10/11
11/12
Arresting poor attendance: a stick?
Mail to selected students after third week of teaching:
… you have already missed several lectures in the first three weeks. … you are likely to be withdrawn from the programme. ...
Mail to selected students after fourth week of teaching:
… you have missed the majority of your classes … I have now begun the process of formally withdrawing you from your studies … and will record you as having withdrawn in our forthcoming Semester A report to the government. … [This is] your penultimate opportunity to rescue your status as a student of the University… you need to take two steps to avert your withdrawal …… establish yourself as actively studying … … make an appointment to see me …
9
Arresting poor attendance: a stick?
Probably, word spread.
By week 5, attendance rose 20% above previous year ... and stayed higher all semester – with no more emails.
10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Att
en
dan
ce (%
)
Week number during 12 week semester
06/07
07/08
10/11
11/12
Was higher attendance helpful to students?
20% ↑ in attendance implies 5 extra classes, or ~10% ↑ in grade. 2010/11 average grade = 48%; 2011/12 average = 55%
Still see similar grade-attendance dependence (good),
and same y-axis intercept implies assessment not easier,
but now fewer students in poor-attendance tail,
so fail-rate reduced.
11
Outcome in 2011/12
Conclusions:
EVS carrot: good for feedback, but only limited evidence it improved attendance (↑5%?) or achievement
HoS stick: produced sustained change in attendance?