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I have been making use of maths diagnostic testing with percentage scores which is great for analysis but do not accurately inform on students ability or potential. The 'level of confidence' measure and the Red, Green and Amber scoring will be interesting to explore. Thanks Martin and Sue! A couple of observations to add to this discussion: 1. One of the reasons we diagnosed this way was to inform students of their ability so they can address appropriately. Our results showed that of the students who engaged with maths support 1 in 3 had been diagnosed compared to 1 in 20 who hadn't. Good result for us. 2. Regarding maths anxiety Sheffield MASH run a workshop on it to tackle the avoidance issue by giving it an identifiable face. http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/mash/anxiety . All the best Chetna Dr Chetna Patel CMath MIMA FSEDA FHEA Academic Team Manager, Maths Learning Centre Library and Learning Services DE MONTFORT UNIVERSITY The Gateway Leicester LE1 9BH T: +44 (0) 116 201 3973 M:+44 (0) 781 488 4907 E: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> Skype: chetnaptl W: http://libguides.library.dmu.ac.uk/mlc From: The sigma network for cross-university mathematics and statistics support [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Johnston-Wilder, Sue Sent: 03 August 2016 12:37 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Maths diagnostic test for Biological Sciences students Thanks Martin - this is very interesting. Do you have any sense of how students with maths anxiety approach this confidence assessment? My own sense is that unless we address anxiety explicitly, and explain that it is treatable, students will continue to work round, avoid and underachieve. Sue Johnston-Wilder, FIMA, FHEA, CMathsTeach Associate Professor of Mathematics Education Centre for Education Studies University of Warwick | Coventry | CV4 7AL t: 07787402766 e: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ces/research/current/mathematicsresilience http://www.mathematicalresilience.org/ http://<http://www.mathematicalresilience.org/>blogs.warwick.ac.uk/maths_resilience/<http://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/maths_resilience/> According to Alec Issigonis, designer of the Mini, pure maths is the enemy of every creative genius. ________________________________ From: Martin Greenhow <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> Sent: 02 August 2016 13:03 To: Johnston-Wilder, Sue Cc: [log in to unmask] Subject: RE: Maths diagnostic test for Biological Sciences students Dear Sue, I agree we need to be very careful not to reinforce fear or bad attitudes to maths! What you suggest looks similar to what Sally Jordan did in the 1990's and later developed by Mundeep Gill at Brunel University (see attached). I have used this for many years in conjunction with an online test for our foundations students as part of their Study Skills module (see "How I teach ..." on the left hand side of http://people.brunel.ac.uk/~mastmmg/ssguide/sshome.htm) The actual Study Skills task is not the diagnostic test itself but rather a document to show they have reflected on it and what they have done about any weaknesses. The diagnostic test I use is a selection of questions from Algebra, Stats and Numbers/Numeracy in maths e.g. http://www.mathcentre.ac.uk:8081/mathseg/ Unfortunately I haven't had time to put up the Biomaths (Dilutions, Moles & Molarity, Notation and SI units, Solutions) questions, but Calculations for health professionals has some overlap I think. Watch this space for the next release of maths e.g. (which will work on phones/I-pads too). However, what is there should be useful for decontextualized questions at a basic level and you can easily create your own tests using the teachers' interface. Best wishes, Martin Greenhow From: The sigma network for cross-university mathematics and statistics support [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Johnston-Wilder, Sue Sent: 02 August 2016 12:26 To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: Maths diagnostic test for Biological Sciences students Dear Kinga, Have you considered that some of the students will have acquired maths anxiety? it is treatable but disabling, and faced with a maths test at the start of term could cause trouble for a vulnerable subgroup. Is there any chance you could text for maths anxiety first and offer 'treatment'. Also rather than give a test you could give out a question paper and invite the students to colour/code the questions: * green for 'ok on my own' * amber for 'possibly ok with support' * red for 'this makes me panic' This is based on the 'growth zone model' - an affective version of the ZPD. All the best Sue Sue Johnston-Wilder, FIMA, FHEA, CMathsTeach Associate Professor of Mathematics Education Centre for Education Studies University of Warwick | Coventry | CV4 7AL t: 07787402766 e: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ces/research/current/mathematicsresilience http://www.mathematicalresilience.org/ http://<http://www.mathematicalresilience.org/>blogs.warwick.ac.uk/maths_resilience/<http://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/maths_resilience/> According to Alec Issigonis, designer of the Mini, pure maths is the enemy of every creative genius. ________________________________ From: The sigma network for cross-university mathematics and statistics support <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> on behalf of Zaczek, Kinga <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> Sent: 02 August 2016 11:59 To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> Subject: Maths diagnostic test for Biological Sciences students Hi all, Did you use an online maths diagnostic test for students in Biological Sciences? After speaking to the Bio Sciences department at Royal Holloway we decided to test our students at the beginning of the academic year. We are thinking about using Numbas and we would like to know if there are any ready tests so the results could possibly be compared? I'll appreciate any comments and advice. Best wishes, Kinga Dr Kinga Zaczek Teaching Fellow Maths & Stats Advisory Service CeDAS (Centre for the Development of Academic Skills) Royal Holloway University of London, International Building IN003, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX E: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> [cid:image001.png@01D1ED85.30180990] T: +44 (0)1784 276433