Blended learning in large first year mathematics course - Poh Hillock

Author: Poh Hillock
Contact: [email protected]
School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland

Introducing the UQ2U Program

​The UQ2U program at The University of Queensland (UQ) was rolled out in 2018 with the aim of redeveloping and transforming UQ courses to deliver greater flexibility and high value on-campus learning experiences. In the first phase, several strategically significant UQ courses including Calculus and Linear Algebra I (MATH1051) were selected for the program.

MATH1051 is strategically significant for the following reasons:

• It is the first university level maths course for many UQ students.
• It lays the foundation in calculus & linear algebra for higher-level maths and engineering courses.
• It services more than 45 different programs at UQ.
• It has a yearly enrolment of nearly 2000 students.

​Many students do not take the course by choice (the course is a compulsory requirement in engineering, for example). Motivation and engagement are big issues, with the result that the course has a high failure rate ranging from 20% to 30% each semester. 

MATH1051 Course Structure

​In the traditional setting, MATH1051 students attend 3 face-to-face lectures, 1 1-hour tutorial and 1 1-hour Matlab practical class each week. During lectures, students fill in the course workbook while examples are being explained by the lecturer. Lectures are live streamed, with recordings available to students a couple of hours after the lecture. Assessment activities (typically short quizzes) are conducted during tutorials, after which students are able to receive help with problem sets. Due to the limited time remaining after the assessment activities, the tutorials tend to be tutor centred with little time for peer interaction and collaboration.

​UQ2U MATH1051 was implemented in Semester 1, 2019. Students now have the option of viewing the online lectures (via the edge.edx platform) or attending face-to-face lectures. Both the face-toface lectures and online lectures cover the same content from the course workbook. The online lectures give students the flexibility to learn at their own pace anytime and anywhere. Students attend one 2-hour workshop each week. During the workshop, students complete assessment activities (either a quiz or a collaborative exercise) and get help with problem sets and assignments. The additional hour gives students the opportunity to collaborate, discuss and work on problems with their peers. The workshops are conducted in collaborative spaces equipped with round tables with 6-8 seats per table. Students also attend the 1-hour Matlab practical sessions as per the traditional structure. 

Online Lectures

​The online lectures are delivered via the edge.edx platform and organised in modules. Each module consists of a video, several quizzes testing the video content and if applicable, an interactive animation. Students begin by viewing a video, filling in the workbook as they would in a face-to-face lecture. They then complete the quizzes following the video. Interactive animations are also available to assist students with learning key concepts. 

The edge.edx resources have been immensely popular not only with students who opted for online lectures but also with students who attend face-to-face lectures. The latter have used the resources in a variety of ways:

• Pre-study for face-to-face lectures
• Review after face-to-face lectures
• For catching up missed classes
• For learning optional workbook content not covered in the face-to-face lectures

In addition, instructors now have the option of flipping face-to-face lectures by sending students to watch some of the online content and engaging students with more challenging problems during lectures. 

Student Feedback

In a survey on edge.edx, students were asked the following open-ended questions:

1. What aspects of MATH1051 edge.edx helped your learning?
2. MATH1051 edge.edx can be improved by …..

Responding to how edge.edx had help with their learning, students made the following comments:

​Much easier to navigate than lecture recordings.
Can read ahead so students are not lost during the lectures.
More precise explanation given in videos compared with lectures.
Great for revision purposes; Consolidating f2f lectures; Visual.
Much better than reading a textbook
Learning twice (f2f & edge.edx )
Practice questions after videos
It's accessibility is the best feature
Its a source of help and understanding without having to go to uni or email someone
Clarification if they missed something in lectures
A way of handling the large amount of content
Self paced learning; Manageable sized videos
More active than listening during lectures
More in depth than lectures; Catching up when there is a clash in class
Easier to keep up than in lectures
Catching up for late enrolments
Great for external students (ESP )
I can get ahead; Balancing work & uni
Accessibility
Being able to choose when I want to learn has helped a lot
Adjust speed of videos
I’m a big fan of the online modules ( edge.edx ).
I will never be able to learn from a lecture format with someone talking at me for an hour.
​This semester is so much better. 

Responding with how edge.edx can be improved, students commented:

Want more challenging questions
Some issues with quizzes (blank questions & incorrect answers )
More questions following videos; Written version of the video
Easier navigation of the platform. It would be nice to have a way to go to a specific video or quiz without having to go to the main page or skip through the sections. Maybe a menu on the side with all the chapters and quizzes?
Exam style questions
Worked solutions
Better graphics
Better feedback instead of simply a cross or tick
Shorter videos
​Whole section practice exam? A bit slow. Higher definition videos; Easier navigation for mobile phones.

Workshops

​The workshops were the most successful aspect of UQ2U MATH1051. All workshops were held in collaborative spaces with round tables (6-8 seats per table). Workshop size ranges from 40 to 70; the student-tutor ratio was 20:1. 

1 st hour:

• Summary of previous week’s lecture content.
• Students complete warm up exercises (core content) collaboratively, followed by tutor-led whole class discussion
• One-on-one assistance with problem sheets (tutorial sheets), help with assessments (assignment, mid-semester and final exam preparation).

2 nd hour:

• Students are given a collaborative exercise to complete in groups of 3 or 4. The collaborative exercise covers questions which pick up from the warm up exercises. There is a mix of problems covering theory, calculations, and applications. Importantly, a couple of exam style questions are also included.
• Tutors move around to assist groups of students, leading whole class discussions where appropriate (e.g. discussion of questions which present common difficulties). 

​Workshop attendance was strong throughout the semester, with an average attendance rate of 80%. In a survey conducted in Week 3 of the semester, students were asked to give their impressions of the workshop format. 

Positive student responses included:

Relaxed atmosphere
Knowledgeable tutors
Different ways of explaining maths from different tutors
Liked the structure, formal first giving an overview, summary, then individual group work. Worksheets encouraged collaboration & discussion. Opportunities to meet other students taking the same course. Assignment help was very much appreciated. Weekly quizzes provide motivation to stay on top of coursework
Well structured and planned
Lots of additional help with assignment One on one help
More efficient than other courses
Learn the most from workshops, an advantage over lectures; Similar to school format
Gentle adjustment to uni
​Study time and space. 

Negative student responses included:

Noisy
Classes too large
need more tutors
Had to wait a long time to get help. Collaborative space made it difficult to see when tutor is working on whiteboard.
​More group work would be great.

​Not all tutors were on board with the workshop format which required team teaching. Tutors reported a lack of rapport due to large class size. At the start of the semester, a number of the more experienced tutors felt that new tutors were not given opportunity to practise teaching skills as the workshop format did not encourage lengthy explanation at the board. However, as the semester progressed and tutors were more accustomed to the new format, the same tutors reported a heightened level of engagement amongst students during the workshops.

Early Reflections of Blended Learning

​UQ2U MATH1051 was a considerable investment of time and money. While there was no significant improvement in the pass rate and course rating in Semester 1, 2019, student feedback on the workshops and edge.edx has been overwhelmingly positive. On a personal note, having been involved with this course since 2012, I have witnessed a heightened level of engagement amongst students. Dropping in on several tutorials, I definitely felt a buzz walking into these workshops. Students were talking about maths, working on maths, asking questions and discussing problems. 

We have learned many valuable lessons along the way. The first is to go easy with flipping lectures. Early attempts at a complete flip were not successful and in fact left students overwhelmed and unsettled. In subsequent weeks, we went with a softer flip, i.e. traditional lectures with occasional flips on selected sections of the course. Other important lessons include:

• Manage expectations at the start of the semester; explain to students that face-to-face lectures will be semi-flipped.
• Video viewing for lecture preparation should be no more than 10 to 15 minutes.  Workshop class size should not exceed 50.
• Collaborative exercises completed as a group work better than individually completed quizzes; students felt stressed with the weekly quizzes. The collaborative exercises alleviated the stress, and encouraged interaction and engagement.
• Meet tutors regularly to discuss teaching ideas and workshop experiences.

​We look forward to improving the blended learning experience for our students in the coming semester!