New MOOC: Getting a grip on mathematical symbolism
There are now just eight weeks to go until Loughborough’s mini-mooc Getting a grip on mathematical symbolism goes live on the Future Learn platform (https://www.futurelearn.com) and the thousands of students already registered can start the course. The team are working flat out completing the content, developing the e-learning and assessment elements, and adding enhancements intended to make the learning of basic mathematical techniques interesting and relevant to aspiring engineers and scientists.
The course is aimed at those who are considering studying science or engineering foundation courses at university level, particularly those who have some engineering or science knowledge gained through vocational qualifications or through workplace experience but who have not studied mathematics formally since leaving school. It will be appropriate for those who lack confidence but who need to establish a bedrock of knowledge in order to further their education.
Through an accessible introduction to graphical and algebraic techniques students will start to think mathematically and develop an informal understanding of vital properties of points, lines and curves before formalizing mathematically some of these essential notions. The course goes on to introduce the equation of a line and the significance of its slope and vertical intercept and emphasizes the importance of linear relationships in many scientific and engineering applications.
The course will reinforce the importance of mathematics to science and engineering through cameo appearances of leading Loughborough academics from science and engineering. It will pave the way into the study of calculus by explaining that engineers and scientists need to build upon the ideas introduced in order to describe, analyze and predict the ways in which physical, biological and technological systems change.
The course team comprises Professor Tony Croft, the lead educator and writer of the course, Janette Matthews, educator, e-learning specialist and graphic designer, Clare Trott, academic advisor – all from the Mathematics Education Centre – and Andy Chong, graphic designer in the Animation Academy in the School of the Arts, with support from Phil Wilkinson-Blake in the School of Business and Economics.
As a mini-mooc the course is expects students to learn for around 2 hours per week for three weeks and successful participants can obtain a Certificate of Participation.
More details and registration: