A Variety of Approaches to the Provision of Mathematics Help for First-Year Engineering Undergraduates

Loughborough University offers mathematical support to its students in a variety of different ways. This paper details four initiatives, implemented during the academic years from 2003/2004 to 2008/2009, which were targeted at first-year engineering students with either non-traditional mathematical backgrounds or identified as having significant gaps in their mathematical knowledge. The four initiatives are: a summer school, workshops, timetabled practice sessions and additional examination revision sessions. The benefits, difficulties and shortcomings associated with each of the four approaches are described. We also present findings from a questionnaire investigating student uptake of mathematics support and student perceptions of mathematics difficulty. Whilst successful in helping most students who engage, the paper suggests that it is often those students who are most in need of help who do not take advantage of the available support. Possible reasons why students are not accessing additional support are proposed.