Technology-Enhanced Mathematical Science Education

The Technology Enhanced Mathematical Sciences Education theme researches areas related to mathematical education such as effective usage and design of e-assessment, effectiveness of flipped learning, development and evaluation of pedagogy, design and curriculum, mathematical cognition, and accessibility of mathematics through technology.

Mathematics, data and statistics are ever present and increasingly so in the modern world. It is therefore crucial that not only cutting-edge research happens within the mathematical sciences, but also that research takes into account how to better communicate and educate mathematics from early years to higher education. Our primary aim is to achieve this, and in particular to address this through the use of modern technologies.

E-assessment in mathematics

The use of electronic assessment (e-assessment) within the mathematical sciences has massively increased over the past decade. This is in part due to the ever improving and accessible technologies, but also to the huge advantages that e-assessment has for scalability, accessibility and instantaneous feedback. Additionally, the necessity of e-assessment within the mathematical sciences has been accelerated due to the increasing demand of flexible learning. We aim to address the more educational aspects of the use of e-assessment within the mathematical sciences, particularly how to map conventional mathematics paper-based assessments so they are suitable and effective for e-assessment, and further how can e-assessment be used to enhance and improve existing forms of assessment.

Educational design and accessibility

Despite mathematics being one of the oldest disciplines on the planet, it has remained remarkably stagnant in its mode of delivery and its content. In many higher education institutions, it is still the convention that a mathematics lecture course consists of static pdf notes alongside in person lectures. Additionally, the content and curriculum of these degree programmes has remained remarkably unchanged for several decades. We address these points by researching into the effectiveness of innovative teaching methods within the classroom, such as flipped and blended learning, as well as modernising current mathematics curricula to meet the ever-increasing demands of industry and academia. In addition, we actively research into effective uses of modern technology to vastly improve the student learning experience as well as support with the increasing demand of accessible learning materials within the mathematical sciences. This takes the form of converting current mathematical educational materials from static typed notes to dynamic and interactive workbooks that are accessible for all.