a)
Teaching undergraduate
math
My key responsibility is basically, instructing in mathematics or from a reflective perspective; to facilitate learning of mathematics. Mathematics is a
subject that most students perceive to be difficult right from the word go.
Therefore the type of teaching approach and strategies are very important
(Moon, 1999; Biggs & Tang, 2007). My approach is to make the students
relaxed by making learning interesting, through humour (Biggs & Tang,
2007), getting to know the student’s academic and social background and
cultivating a close student – teacher relationship. I take time to listen to
students’ challenges no matter how trivial they may look. I strive to make any concept relevant to the learner's world by relating the concepts to real life situation. it is challenging but with prior research, before class presentations,
My first lesson
with freshmen is to get to know the students’ academic background and to allow them
to air freely their past and anticipated challenges in mathematics. Their
responses give a rough idea of their attitude and perception of mathematics,
and therefore guide on which approaches to use (Moon, 1999). It is important that
before new material is assimilated, the relevant cognitive structure to accommodate
the new material be in place (Moon, 1999). Otherwise it will be a futile
exercise.
Once this is
established, my normal class will begin by going through what was discussed in
the previous lesson, answering and clarifying issues arising. Thereafter, a few
students demonstrate exercise given out in the previous class. This is intended to lay the foundation for
the day’s lesson. It is intended to ‘build on the known’ so as to ‘maximize
structure’ (Biggs, 2003). This method is effective and the take-away assignment
forms an introduction to new concepts. All this prepares students for the day’s
main topic which I present through demonstration and class exercises.
Thereafter I post exercises in the faculty portal or moodle and invite students who did not comprehend certain concepts to consult further. This allows shy students or the introverts to ask questions in the privacy of an office, and to get instant
feedback (Race, 2005).
b)
Encouraging Dialogue in
Class Discussions
I did a research
in Jan – April 2010 as part of my requirements for FHEA. The research was based
on encouraging students to dialogue during class discussions. I
have noted, in follow-up classes that the students who were involved in the
research are more into dialogue than those who were not. The students exude
confidence and are patient to listen to others’ view. The students are also
inquisitive.
It has been noted
that, ‘problem – solving dialogue is a powerful tool in strategic change and
improving performance in all organizations, though schools are yet to fully tap
the power of dialogue’ (Abbey, 2005). It is my hope that with time, I will have
encouraged all my students to dialogue in class discussions. Alexander (2005)
noted that there is need for classroom discourse that is interactive, dynamic
and has content. Patterns of interaction such as exploratory talk,
argumentation and dialogue, have been seen to promote high – level thinking and
intellectual development (Wolfe, 2008).
c)
Online class
I facilitate online maths class since 2011. It is an exciting experience
but also challenging. Challenging in many ways, from students lacking
facilitates to technology phobia. There have been cases of students wondering
how one can learn math online. The students are normally oriented a month
before the class commence. They submit weekly assignments that I normally mark
and give feedback in 2 days’ time. The marking scheme is uploaded in the portal
immediately after the expiry of submission date. I also make use of social
media such as SMS, Whatsapp™ and blog to discuss with students besides having
face to face sessions.
I have noted that a positive attitude, access to reliable internet,
proficiency in basic computer skills, ability to research online, weekly
assignments and prompt feedback, and regular communication contributes to good
performance in online math.
d)
Facilitating
postgraduate diploma in pedagogy
I had the privilege to facilitate the 1st cohort o lecturers
pursuing PGDP. The exercise required peer observation, guiding in writing of a
reflective teaching portfolio and report writing on the progress of the
students. The exercise was success though it required to be structured in a
better way and there is a need to overhaul the programme.
e)
Use of Faculty Portal
Starting January 2010,
I have been using the university portal to access student details such as their contacts, cumulative GPA among others.
I normally record their attendance, grades and I send emails to students on
issue regarding their academic performance, and attaching links where students
can go for further references. This personalizes learning and the particular
students feel assured that the lecturer is concerned. It is a good opportunity
to give personalized feedback on achievements and weaknesses (Race, 2005).
f)
Use of Projects
Mathematics has
been regarded to be so abstract that the students find it difficult to
comprehend concepts. Use of projects that are aimed at solving real life
problems has been seen as one of the strategies to use in making learning
meaningful and promoting interest in learning mathematics (Robison and Jaworski,
2010). It has also been seen to make students connect theory and reality. In
this respect I introduce students to carryout simple mathematics projects. The
project was for the maths for science class. Students were required to identify
a real problem that they face within the university and come up with a solution
by applying mathematics concepts learnt in class.
