The sigma Mathematics and Statistics Support Network

Michael Grove, David Bowers, Tony Croft, Trevor Hawkes,

Duncan Lawson & Moira Petrie

The origins of a mathematics problem

“There is an increasing inhomogeneity in the mathematical attainments and knowledge of students entering science and engineering degree programmes.”

“The decline in skills and the increased variability within intakes are causing acute problems for those teaching mathematics-based modules across the full range of universities.”Measuring the Mathematics Problem (2000)

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An ongoing problem…

“Many students do not realise that mathematical facility will be necessary for success in a range of higher education subjects.”

ACME (2010)

“…universities are marginalising mathematical content in the delivery of degree courses because English students are not capable of studying it…”

RSA (2012)

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Mathematics supportActivities and resources to support and enhance students’ learning of mathematics and statistics in any discipline and which are:

• Additional• Non-judgmental, informal,

not credit-bearing• Supportive and non-

threatening• Offers alternative

approaches to problem solving

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The rise of the support centre

“…46 out of 95 responding institutions did provide additional support for mathematics.”

Lawson, Halpin & Croft (2002)

“88 out of 103 responding institutions offered mathematics support provision. 30 classed as ‘highly visible’ centres.”

Perkin, Lawson & Croft (2012)

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Responding to the mathematics problem…

• Measuring the Mathematics Problem (2000)• MSOR Subject Centre (2001)• Launch of www.mathcentre.ac.uk (2003) and

www.mathtutor.ac.uk (2005)• sigma Centre for Excellence in Mathematics & Statistics

Support (2005 – 2010)• Responding to the Mathematics Problem (2007)• Launch of www.statstutor.ac.uk (2011)• National HE STEM Programme (2009 – 2012)• 2013 – Continuation of sigma Network

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Activity: 2009-2012

Established• 14 new Support Centres in England and 8 in Wales• Provision enhanced in a further 6• National sigma network

Sustainability• 13 Centres continue in England (12/13) and 5 in Wales• Referenced in OFFA agreements

“I’m very pleased to say that the centre has already proved its worth in the first year.”

Vice-Chancellor, University of Lincoln

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Continuation: 2013-2016

Continued HEFCE Support for the sigma mathematics & statistics support network

“Maths skills are a pre-requisite for a wide range of jobs. sigma is a great scheme to broaden access to maths amongst a wide range of students, many of whom thought they had dropped Maths at 16. I am delighted HEFCE is increasing funding for sigma.”

Rt Hon David Willetts MP

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Sigma Network Hubs

1. Liverpool John Moores University

2. University of Sheffield

3. University of Wolverhampton

4. University of Bath

5. University Campus Suffolk

6. University of Greenwich

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1. Maintain regional sigma Hubs

• 2 workshops per year• An electronic newsletter• One regional summer

intern each year (matched)

Emma Cliffe (Bath), Leslie Fletcher (LJMU), Ruth Fairclough (Wolverhampton), David Bowers (UCS), Chetna Patel (Sheffield), and Noel-Ann Bradshaw (Greenwich)

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2. Online: www.sigma-network.ac.uk

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2. Mentoring recently established centres

“This would not have been possible without the support we received from sigma…of most use to us was our mentor…”

New Centre, 2012

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3. Postgraduate tutor trainingRegional workshops for postgraduates working in support centres

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4. CETL-MSOR Conference & sigma prizes

CETL-MSOR 2014

8/9 September Cardiff University

“I look forward to this conference as a place to meet colleagues most closely aligned with my field.”

Delegate

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5. Establishment of new centres

• 5 (in England) in 2013/14

• 5 (in England) in 2014/15

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6. Resource development

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7. Embedding sustainabilityProvision, practice and learning

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Establishing a disciplinary identity“….colleagues have moved on to gather data on the way students use such resources and look for optimal strategies for the delivery of this support, and this is perhaps the most convincing evidence of acceptance. Mathematics support came of age in the first decade of the 21st century. What might once have been described as a cottage industry now plays a respected and widely adopted role in Higher Education.”

Joe Kyle, University of Birmingham

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Tackling TransitionsContributions From:

Peter McOwan & Vivien Easson, Kevin Houston, David Pritchard, Louise Walker, Mike Robinson, Mike Savage, Paul Hewson, Trevor Hawkes, Clare Trott, Neil Challis, Stephen Hibberd & Jeff Waldock, Chris Sangwin, Julian Williams, Barbara Jaworski & Stephanie Treffert-Thomas, John O’Donoghue & Olivia Fitzmaurice, Emma Cliffe, Melissa Rodd

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Get in Touch

Michael Grove

Associate Director - sigmaUniversity of Birmingham

M.J.Grove@bham.ac.uk

www.sigma-network.ac.uk

sigma-network@jiscmail.ac.uk

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