This miniproject investigated the issues around developing support centre strategy to counter the declines of mathematical skills displayed by many students on entry to university. It aimed to determine how widespread and effective the support centre provision was and to identify and disseminate good practice in the running of mathematics support centres. Universities have taken a range of steps in an attempt to address this problem (for example, curriculum changes to include more ‘revision’ material in the first year); the provision of extra support units to be studied alongside the traditional syllabus; the introduction of bridging units to be studied intensively at the start of the course; staff voluntarily making themselves more available to students outside scheduled classes; and, provision of some kind of mathematics support centre (the focus of this project).
During 2001 a survey of UK universities was carried out, by questionnaire, to find out how many universities had Mathematics Support Centres and to obtain a general description of these centres. The survey questionnaire was completed by email, on-line or telephone. Visits were made to seven universities, to look at their Mathematics Support Centre, and interview centre staff and students using the centre. At two of the institutions students who did not use the centre were also interviewed. One visit was also made to a university that aims to help students, with their mathematics, with a predominantly computer-based approach.
The general term Mathematics Support Centre covers a variety of mathematics help facilities. Some examples are: a pleasant room for students to work in, with mathematics textbooks and handouts; mathematics help drop-in sessions in the library at set times; drop-in classes on specific topics during lunchtime. However key elements of the Mathematics Support Centre are that attendance is voluntary and that it is in addition to the normal teaching provision of the module or course of study.
This project has gathered details of the Mathematics Support Centres presently operating in UK universities. The information collected includes the physical details of the centres such as location, facilities and resources. It also includes the opinions of Mathematics Support Centre staff, student users and student non-users. In order to present a balanced picture the project finishes with a description of an alternative or parallel approach.
The collected data may act as a guide to universities aiming to establish or change their own Mathematics Support Centre.
A booklet informed by the findings of this project was produced, ‘Good Practice in the Provision of Mathematics Support Centres’.