Duncan Lawson | Newman University (original) (raw)
Papers by Duncan Lawson
The SIGMA Centre for Excellence in Mathematics and Statistics Support at Coventry and Loughboroug... more The SIGMA Centre for Excellence in Mathematics and Statistics Support at Coventry and Loughborough Universities is developing an innovative teaching strategy involving targeting a group of students in a particular module group who are perceived as being 'at risk' and providing an alternative form of teaching and learning support for them. This paper discusses: the background to proactive interventions; pedagogical models underlying proactive interventions; the interventions which have been tried at the two Universities in the last academic year with particular reference to a case study of one module; and conclusions and future plans.
Learning, Culture and Social Interaction, 2014
ABSTRACT This article presents an analysis of an intervention intended to address an aspect of un... more ABSTRACT This article presents an analysis of an intervention intended to address an aspect of undergraduate mathematics education that is frequently described as a situation of deadlock, between second-year undergraduates who are disillusioned with their university mathematics experience, and mathematics departments which describe many students as lacking interest in, and awareness of, the nature of university-level mathematics and how it is learned: whilst departments strive to support such students, the extent to which they can do so is often seen as limited. The SYMBoL project was designed to address this situation in terms of improving dialogue between students and staff through the introduction of undergraduate internships which challenged traditional hierarchical roles and relationships. Using third generation activity theory to analyse the nature and impact of the internship role, we show how the project legitimised the student voice as channelled through that of the interns, created shifts in perceptions of the problem, and began a process of transformational learning about possibilities in undergraduate mathematics teaching. We consider the implications for developing university mathematics teaching within the wider context of tensions across university systems.
Gender and Education (2011) 23(5) pp565-583
Many learners may be successful in mathematics but nevertheless see themselves as existing only o... more Many learners may be successful in mathematics but nevertheless see themselves as existing only on the margins of the practice, or as lacking stability in it -in this sense, they have what can be called a fragile identity. Although this kind of relationship with mathematics is not limited to girls and women, they do appear to express such fragile identities more often or more readily. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative data from undergraduates in three English universities, this paper presents an analysis of the way in which university mathematics is differentially experienced by men and women, and of the part this may play in women's ongoing narratives of self as mathematicians. It is suggested that some women resist traditional positionings in the mathematics world, drawing on local resources which enable a sense of agency as successful students and a refiguring of their relationships with mathematics.
Abstract: During the 1990s, the phrase 'the mathematics problem'came into common usage ... more Abstract: During the 1990s, the phrase 'the mathematics problem'came into common usage to describe the increasing mismatch between the mathematical competencies of incoming undergraduates and those expected for the study of a range of disciplines in higher education. This prompted the establishment of a number of mathematics support centres. During this century a strong community of practice in mathematics support has developed, primarily around sigma, a HEFCE-designated Centre for Excellence in Teaching and ...
Mathematics Today-Bulletin of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, 2007
Statistics, 2001
In addition the authors would like to thank all those staff from higher education institutions wh... more In addition the authors would like to thank all those staff from higher education institutions who completed the questionnaires. Special thanks are due to those colleagues who allowed us to visit their support centres and willingly gave of their precious time to explain the way they operated. Without the co-operation of all of these people this project would never have finished.
Studies in Higher Education, Jun 1, 2010
This article reports on data gathered from second and third year mathematics undergraduates at tw... more This article reports on data gathered from second and third year mathematics undergraduates at two British universities which have developed Mathematics Support Centres, primarily with a view to supporting skills development for engineering students. However, an unforeseen consequence of the support centres was the mathematics students' colonisation of the physical space, and the development of group learning strategies which involve a strong community identity. Drawing on a socio‐cultural theoretical framework, ...
European Seminar on …, Jun 11, 2006
Learning, Media and Technology, 2012
The use of social networking services has rapidly increased in recent years, especially by univer... more The use of social networking services has rapidly increased in recent years, especially by university students. Some authors assert that they have educational potential in terms of promoting collaborative learning practices among undergraduate students which enhance engagement and understanding. This possibility is particularly relevant to mathematics learning, because university communities are frequently experienced as isolating and performance-oriented. This case study reports on the use of Facebook to support mathematical communication and more participative learning
identities within a UK university mathematics department. It describes how the reactive formation of a student-led Facebook community became a source of conflict within the wider academic social community and how this conflict was eventually resolved. While it raises questions about the extent to which Facebook can encourage open collaborative learning
within the wider context of student aspirations in a competitive climate, it notes its potential for fostering cross-cohort student support in a subject which frequently induces anxiety in its students.
The SIGMA Centre for Excellence in Mathematics and Statistics Support at Coventry and Loughboroug... more The SIGMA Centre for Excellence in Mathematics and Statistics Support at Coventry and Loughborough Universities is developing an innovative teaching strategy involving targeting a group of students in a particular module group who are perceived as being 'at risk' and providing an alternative form of teaching and learning support for them. This paper discusses: the background to proactive interventions; pedagogical models underlying proactive interventions; the interventions which have been tried at the two Universities in the last academic year with particular reference to a case study of one module; and conclusions and future plans.
Learning, Culture and Social Interaction, 2014
ABSTRACT This article presents an analysis of an intervention intended to address an aspect of un... more ABSTRACT This article presents an analysis of an intervention intended to address an aspect of undergraduate mathematics education that is frequently described as a situation of deadlock, between second-year undergraduates who are disillusioned with their university mathematics experience, and mathematics departments which describe many students as lacking interest in, and awareness of, the nature of university-level mathematics and how it is learned: whilst departments strive to support such students, the extent to which they can do so is often seen as limited. The SYMBoL project was designed to address this situation in terms of improving dialogue between students and staff through the introduction of undergraduate internships which challenged traditional hierarchical roles and relationships. Using third generation activity theory to analyse the nature and impact of the internship role, we show how the project legitimised the student voice as channelled through that of the interns, created shifts in perceptions of the problem, and began a process of transformational learning about possibilities in undergraduate mathematics teaching. We consider the implications for developing university mathematics teaching within the wider context of tensions across university systems.
Gender and Education (2011) 23(5) pp565-583
Many learners may be successful in mathematics but nevertheless see themselves as existing only o... more Many learners may be successful in mathematics but nevertheless see themselves as existing only on the margins of the practice, or as lacking stability in it -in this sense, they have what can be called a fragile identity. Although this kind of relationship with mathematics is not limited to girls and women, they do appear to express such fragile identities more often or more readily. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative data from undergraduates in three English universities, this paper presents an analysis of the way in which university mathematics is differentially experienced by men and women, and of the part this may play in women's ongoing narratives of self as mathematicians. It is suggested that some women resist traditional positionings in the mathematics world, drawing on local resources which enable a sense of agency as successful students and a refiguring of their relationships with mathematics.
Abstract: During the 1990s, the phrase 'the mathematics problem'came into common usage ... more Abstract: During the 1990s, the phrase 'the mathematics problem'came into common usage to describe the increasing mismatch between the mathematical competencies of incoming undergraduates and those expected for the study of a range of disciplines in higher education. This prompted the establishment of a number of mathematics support centres. During this century a strong community of practice in mathematics support has developed, primarily around sigma, a HEFCE-designated Centre for Excellence in Teaching and ...
Mathematics Today-Bulletin of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, 2007
Statistics, 2001
In addition the authors would like to thank all those staff from higher education institutions wh... more In addition the authors would like to thank all those staff from higher education institutions who completed the questionnaires. Special thanks are due to those colleagues who allowed us to visit their support centres and willingly gave of their precious time to explain the way they operated. Without the co-operation of all of these people this project would never have finished.
Studies in Higher Education, Jun 1, 2010
This article reports on data gathered from second and third year mathematics undergraduates at tw... more This article reports on data gathered from second and third year mathematics undergraduates at two British universities which have developed Mathematics Support Centres, primarily with a view to supporting skills development for engineering students. However, an unforeseen consequence of the support centres was the mathematics students' colonisation of the physical space, and the development of group learning strategies which involve a strong community identity. Drawing on a socio‐cultural theoretical framework, ...
European Seminar on …, Jun 11, 2006
Learning, Media and Technology, 2012
The use of social networking services has rapidly increased in recent years, especially by univer... more The use of social networking services has rapidly increased in recent years, especially by university students. Some authors assert that they have educational potential in terms of promoting collaborative learning practices among undergraduate students which enhance engagement and understanding. This possibility is particularly relevant to mathematics learning, because university communities are frequently experienced as isolating and performance-oriented. This case study reports on the use of Facebook to support mathematical communication and more participative learning
identities within a UK university mathematics department. It describes how the reactive formation of a student-led Facebook community became a source of conflict within the wider academic social community and how this conflict was eventually resolved. While it raises questions about the extent to which Facebook can encourage open collaborative learning
within the wider context of student aspirations in a competitive climate, it notes its potential for fostering cross-cohort student support in a subject which frequently induces anxiety in its students.