Maths+Stats Teaching and Learning
This seminar series features talks on maths+stats teaching & learning, education research and outreach. Staff and students are welcome!
The talks are organised by Siri ChongchitnanLink opens in a new window (maths) and Francesca BasiniLink opens in a new window (stats). Drop us a line if you would like to speak or would like to invite someone.
TERM 2 - 2024/25
The talks will be in-person unless stated otherwise.
| When and where? | Title and speaker | Slides/ recording |
| Wednesday |
Gradescope For the recording of this event, please contact Siri. |
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| Thursday 4-5 PM |
Helping students develop a richer understanding of mathematics: In this presentation I will discuss how I have used mind maps in my teaching. In particular, I will describe an assignment in which students were asked to produce mind maps in a module that heavily featured numerical methods. I will explain my reasons for developing this kind of assignment and what skills I wanted students to develop. I will also reflect on the implementation of the assignment, and on student engagement with it. I will use this as a springboard to briefly discuss challenges and possibilities of helping students develop a richer understanding of mathematics. |
Slides |
| Thursday 4-5 PM |
Improving Reliability in Comparative Judgement: Maria-Louiza Van Den Bergh (Warwick) Comparative Judgement is an assessment method by which item ratings are estimated based on rankings of subsets of the items. To be able to use this as an alternative assessment technique, it is important to establish the credibility of the ratings produced. This presentation discusses the shortcomings of the popular SSR method and explores using bootstrapping and an alternative strength parameter as a more effective method. |
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| Thursday 4-5PM |
Flipped Classrooms and Interactive Learning at Edinburgh Richard Gratwick (Edinburgh) The University of Edinburgh School of Mathematics puts high importance on interactivity in its teaching. For many years, the "flipped classroom" model has been the basis for its teaching in the earlier years of the undergraduate programmes. Higher-level courses also use a variety of techniques to engage students in the classroom. In this talk I will give an overview of some of these approaches to teaching from the point of view of the practitioner at the chalkface. I shall discuss the practical implementation of these techniques, the advantages and disadvantages, and student and staff reactions that one often encounters. |
SlidesLink opens in a new window |
| Thursday 4-5PM
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Generative AI in Higher Education: a benefit to students, a challenge for educators Cesare Giulio Ardito (University of Manchester)
Generative AI is rapidly integrating into student learning, improving accessibility, feedback, and engagement. However, this same technology disrupts traditional assessment methods and challenges the role of teachers and lecturers. As AI tutoring systems become more sophisticated, this talk explores the dual impact of generative AI: its capacity to enhance student learning when properly guided, and its groundbreaking impact on our education models. As AI shifts the balance of knowledge production, we must reconsider what—and how—we assess, and what remains uniquely human in the educational process.
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SlidesLink opens in a new window |
| Thursday 4-5PM
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"Communicating Mathematics" Module Public engagement is becoming increasingly emphasised by the university, and also is a highly useful "soft" skill for students to put into practice. I will talk about the new module, MA3L3, "mathematical communication", which was funded by the WIE. I will discuss the cocreation of this module; other similar modules at other universities and other departments; the range of speakers who have been involved; partnerships with external organisations; student feedback so far; student output, showcasing some of their work on written and video materials and discussing the in person activities completed so far. |
Previous Terms A.Y 2024/25
TERM 1 - 2024/25
| When and where? | Title and speaker | Slides/ recording |
| Wednesday 2 Oct 2024 3-4PM B3.02 |
Exploring the use of AI in mathematics and statistics assessments: project outcome and highlights The project was funded by WIHEA. The full report is hereLink opens in a new window. |
Slides RecordingLink opens in a new window |
| Thursday 31 Oct 2024 4-5PM |
Bridging the Gap: A Strategic Refresher Course in Mathematics |
Slides |
| Wednesday 6 Nov 2-3PM Zeeman |
Online Assessment Platforms: Crowdmark Demo Beatriz Navarro Lameda (UCL) Crowdmark is an online assessment platform that helps educators assess students' work more effectively. This tool allows you to mark two to three times faster compared to marking paper exams while at the same time leaving richer feedback for students. It supports LaTeX and Markdown formatting, multiple choice questions (marked automatically) and longer questions for which student can submit scanned handwritten answers. Crowdmark supporting both online assessments and in-person, paper-based exams that can be scanned for digital marking. The ability to mark paper-based exams online is especially beneficial for department that frequently administer in-person exams, such as maths and stats departments. |
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| Thursday 14 Nov 6-7PM MS.04 |
Improving diversity and inclusivity amongst Warwick maths undergraduates We will highlight results from a summer project which investigated the perception and reality of diversity and inclusivity amongst Warwick maths undergraduates. We will focus on the experiences of We will present results from our data analysis (e.g. admission trends and graduate attainment) and student engagement (survey and one-to-one interviews). We will present recommendations on how we, as a department, can work together to improve diversity in recruitment, inclusivity and post-arrival support. |