A computationally efficient artificial intelligence (AI) model called Extreme Learning Machines (ELM) is adopted to analyze patterns embedded in continuous assessment to model the weighted score (WS) and the examination (EX) score in engineering mathematics courses at an Australian regional university. The student performance data taken over a six-year period in multiple courses ranging from the mid-to the advanced level and a diverse course offering mode (i.e., on-campus, ONC, and online, ONL) are modelled by ELM and further benchmarked against competing models: random forest (RF) and Volterra. With the assessments and examination marks as key predictors of WS (leading to a grade in the mid-level course), ELM (with respect to RF and Volterra) outperformed its counterpart models both for the ONC and the ONL offer. This generated relative prediction error in the testing phase, of only 0.74%, compared to about 3.12% and 1.06%, respectively, while for the ONL offer, the prediction errors were only 0.51% compared to about 3.05% and 0.70%. In modelling the student performance in advanced engineering mathematics course, ELM registered slightly larger errors: 0.77% (vs. 22.23% and 1.87%) for ONC and 0.54% (vs. 4.08% and 1.31%) for the ONL offer. This study advocates a pioneer implementation of a robust AI methodology to uncover relationships among student learning variables, developing teaching and learning intervention and course health checks to address issues related to graduate outcomes, and student learning attributes in the higher education sector. INDEX TERMS education decision-making; Extreme Learning Machine; student performance modelling; AI in higher education; engineering mathematics.
This paper argues that academic numeracy is an important, but undervalued and under-researched, area in tertiary education. Academic numeracy is first defined in terms of students' competence, confidence and critical awareness of their own mathematical knowledge and the mathematics needed in context. The development of academic numeracy is then discussed in terms of obuchenie (teaching/learning) and the metaknowledge around the mathematics in context needed by key staff. The paper presents a systematic approach to develop academic numeracy at the university, program, course and individual student and teacher level. Finally, it provides examples of how to embed academic numeracy. This paper provides a framework for future studies in this underresearched area.
Issues of gender imbalance in leadership have long been a significant issue in universities, as is the case across most industries. This paper explores the experiences of seven females who have successfully achieved senior leadership positions at a regional university in Australia. While the experiences of these women differ in many ways, there are certainly similarities in the challenges and adversities that they have faced, and their perceptions of what has allowed them to experience success in their leadership roles. This paper provides a number of recommendations for women aspiring to be leaders in higher education, such as committing to ongoing development, taking opportunities when presented, developing resilience, developing a track record and seeking support, and also recommendations for institutions.
Tablet technology has been shown to support learner-centred mathematics education when this technology is available to both the lecturer and the students. However, cost is often the barrier to students' use of tablet PCs for their university studies. This article argues that more affordable netbook PCs with tablet capabilities can be viable alternatives to full-sized tablet PCs to enhance active and collaborative learning in mathematics and statistics. For a whole teaching semester, netbook tablet PCs were given to volunteer students from two different cohorts. Students were enrolled in nursing mathematics or introductory statistics in non-mathematics majors at an Australian university. The aims were to gauge the suitability of this technology and to identify what active and collaborative learning emerged in these first-year classes. While the netbook tablet PCs were actively promoted in their tutorials, of additional interest was students' use of the technology for any aspect of their studies both inside and outside the classroom. The outcome of this study was to inform a university decision to provide inexpensive tablet technology to larger cohorts of students. The results highlight different approaches required in the mathematics and statistics classes to achieve collaborative and active learning facilitated through the technology. Environmental variables such as the tutor, student, learning space, availability of other technologies and subject content had an impact on the nature of learning. While learner-centred education can be facilitated by inexpensive netbook tablet PCs, we caution that the savings may come at the expense of computing power.
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