PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the mathematics self-efficacy of students who are non-maths specialists. The project explores the student experience in the context of a maths module with a blended design, comprising both online content and face-to-face teaching. The aim was to reflect on the role of blended learning in this context.Design/methodology/approachUsing a mixed-method analysis, the study uses data gathered via student surveys and discussion forums, as well as module grades, to provide evidence regarding whether the online component of the module enables students to master the required maths skills. The data are examined under four themes that emerged as critical to improving the self-efficacy of students: flexibility, the interactivity of the online platform, the module's blended design and the functionality of the platform.FindingsThe findings are that the blended approach increases academic self-efficacy in the area of mathematics, also enhancing the student experience. These benefits arise from the combination of allowing the individual mastery of technical skills in the private and stress-free environment provided by the online platform and access to social resources in the classroom setting.Originality/valueThe paper details the influence of self-efficacy on academic performance and the effectiveness of a blended learning approach, in the area of mathematics. It provides insight into the importance of providing multiple opportunities for students to become autonomous as they develop academic self-confidence through the mastery of maths skills.
Within Business Education, our students study technical skills and gain commercial knowledge which will equip them for their future careers. In addition, our students need to develop the 'soft skills' which employers are looking for when they recruit graduates. To create a pathway to employability, we have used a collaboration between a module leader and a Business School employability consultant to support second year students. We set out how we have included the consultant in planning and delivering specific topics within the module, and in giving formative feedback to students. In this way we have embedded employability skills in the curriculum and built a relational pathway to the Business School's careers support for students.
In September 2016, the University of Greenwich Business School introduced its first portfolio of extended programmes. The majority of these programmes followed a common initial year, referred to for the remainder of this opinion piece as 'year zero'. The programme design for year zero was intended to launch students on their programme of study by introducing basic academic writing and communication skills, while also including general business-related content. On extended programmes, the benefits of generic foundation years such as year zero include the efficient use of resources. As all students are studying the same modules, it is easier for universities to forward-plan and to run larger lectures than would be possible if each programme had its own year zero with smaller student numbers. The reasons for the Business School's approach to programme design for this new initiative were therefore obvious and logical. There were economies of scale to be had, especially by basing year zero on existing foundation modules already available within the University, as the programmes could be set up relatively swiftly for the initial cohorts. This was very helpful, because, as these students would be recruited through Clearing 2016, there was no clear idea of expected numbers in the early stages of the recruitment cycle. However, in this piece, we argue that a bespoke year zero design, with a focus on a narrower range of subject-specific topics, enhances the experience of the students on our extended programmes and is worth the investment.The use of the plural 'cohorts' in the previous paragraph is deliberate, as it gets to the nub of the problem we encountered. Whilst, in the early days, we may have referred to all 'extended students' en masse, the students did not see themselves as a single group of 'general business' students. Their programme identities and departments were very important to them. Although the programme structures were set out clearly on the University's website, the students had not anticipated a quasi-generic foundation year plus three years; they had enrolled on to a four-year extended programme commencing with year zero. The students expected programme-specific content from the outset and, from the feedback we received from the first few weeks of term onwards, it became apparent that something had to be done. This opinion piece represents the views of colleagues from three departments within the Business School and demonstrates how we took a united approach to resolving the problem which we all encountered.Our response was twofold. First, we regarded the feedback as reflecting a serious and immediate problem, which we addressed by adding previously unplanned extra-curricular content into the year. One example was a trading competition in term one. In term two, the department with the highest number of extended students provided four weeks of taught sessions to its students on a programme-specific topic. This content, not assessed, was of a
The expansion of Chinese articulations, which offer Chinese students the opportunity to study in the United Kingdom (UK), by entering directly into the final year of an undergraduate study programme, has provided a financially attractive market. However, it has also raised concerns that these students do not have the same student experience as other students and so may find it more difficult to attain a good degree classification. The culture shock, in terms of day to day life and pedagogical approaches in the UK and China creates additional barriers unique to these students. Therefore this case study outlines experiences from two departments within a post-1992 Business School that has been recruiting students via articulations for thirteen years. The case study highlights the journey towards adopting new approaches to teaching these students, thereby reducing the attainment gap. Therefore, it offers an insight into which initiatives have proven successful, ineffective, and future plans to further reduce the attainment gap. The purpose of this case study is to share our experience of creating conditions that support student success.
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