Utilising technology to increase student engagement and success in bridging mathematics

As a result of recent Government recommendations and initiatives, CQUniversity is striving to increase the participation rates of mature-aged and low socioeconomic students. As many of the targeted students do not meet the necessary entry requirements for undergraduate study, the demand for bridging programmes has subsequently increased. Overcoming the challenges encountered from catering for the diverse range of ages and educational, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds of bridging students is a priority for the Mathematics Learning Centre (MLC). The majority of students entering Transition Mathematics 1 (TM1), the introductory level of the MLC suite of courses, possess limited mathematical knowledge coupled with a very negative view of mathematics. As this negativity is often a consequence of repeated failure, resulting in a fear of mathematics and many not progressing beyond Year 10, the MLC’s task is significant. In order to engage and increase the success of these students, the MLC has taken advantage of the innovation afforded by the Tablet PC. The Tablet PC has been utilised to deliver lectures to internal TM1 students and for creating instructional videos for external (distance) students. Two studies were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the technology in each mode of delivery. This paper will provide a background of bridging programmes at CQUniversity, explain how the Tablet PC is utilised within TM1, summarise the findings of each of the studies and outline of how the results have been used to further enhance the delivery of all transition mathematics courses thus improving the learning outcomes of students.