Extreme Apprenticeship – Engaging undergraduate students on a mathematics course

Johanna Rämö,Thomas Vikberg

doi:10.30935/scimath/9623

Abstract

This paper describes how an educational method called Extreme Apprenticeship has been used in teaching mathematics to undergraduates. The aim has been to facilitate the transition from secondary to tertiary education and to teach students the kind of skills they need in further studies and professional life. We report how the Extreme Apprenticeship method has been implemented in the course Linear algebra and matrices I at the University of Helsinki. This first year mathematics course has approximately 400 students each year. We compare the method with the traditional lecture-based approach that was in use before introducing the Extreme Apprenticeship method. We focus on how these two methods engage students. The results show that the Extreme Apprenticeship method managed to engage the students better than traditional teaching, as more students completed their coursework than before. Even though the new teaching method demanded a lot of personal effort from the students, they did not think that the workload was too big, and were pleased with the course.

Highlights

Transition from secondary education to tertiary education is challenging for many students
We investigated the students’ engagement on the course Linear algebra and matrices I during years 2008–2013 by monitoring how many students completed course assignments
In the Extreme Apprenticeship method, completing an assignment means that a student has done the assignment and submitted it

Summary

Introduction

Transition from secondary education to tertiary education is challenging for many students. A grim and simplified answer is that the rite is about selecting those students who succeed in memorising necessary bits of information by sitting in crowded lecture halls and are able to write that information down in exams. Being good at these kind of skills might correlate with succeeding in later studies and professional life, but at least it is a very different set of skills than the one used by professionals.

Results

Discussion

Conclusion