Research groups
Research Group 3. Tertiary education
Leaders: Dr Leigh Wood, Dr Ian Jamie
This group is concerned with all aspects of the learning and teaching of mathematics and science at tertiary level, both as individual subjects and as components of related areas such as statistics, accounting and engineering.
Current research projects focus on the following areas:
- Pedagogical innovations such as group work and peer-assisted learning
- Using ICT to develop more efficient ways of working with students
- Transition issues (school to university, university to work)
- Specialist learning and teaching areas: biology, quantitative sciences
- The role of mathematical understanding in the learning of physics & chemistry
- Students' conceptions of their discipline
Current projects
- Learning Excellence and Development (LEAD) project: Linking research & teaching
Fifteen small learning enhancement projects have been funded, ranging from the introduction of online assessment in statistics to the evaluation of peer assisted learning. The outcomes include professional development, research development, and improved assessment of student learning.
Leader: Leigh Wood
- Pedagogy research in assessment and feedback: What do students want?
This project considers students’ preferences for feedback. Data collection includes a large survey of 1000 students about preferences for feedback and interviews with staff and students about their ideas of assessment.
Chief Investigator: Leigh Wood
- Using cognitively guided instruction to enhance the problem-solving skills of management accounting students
The first phase of this project investigated the difficulties experienced by second year accounting students in solving transfer pricing problems. In the second phase, tutors were informed of the results and shown how they might adapt their teaching to better help students. The effect of the intervention on students' performance was considerable.
Chief Investigator: Sam Jebeile
- Creativity as a graduate attribute
This study will investigate the question, What is creativity and how can it be incorporated into learning at university?
Chief Investigator: PhD student Teresa Swirski
- The transition to professional work: Excel skills
Actuaries use high level mathematical calculations which, at university level, they are taught to carry out mainly by hand or using financial calculators. In industry, spreadsheets are more common. Should the curriculum be revised or is doing calculations by hand necessary for understanding?
Chief Investigator: Tim Kyng
Publications
Wood, L. N. & Solomonides, I. (in press). Different disciplines, different transitions. Mathematics Education Research Journal.
George, A. V., Read, J. R., Barrie, S. C., Bucat, R. B., Buntine, M. A., Crisp, G. T., Jamie, I. M., & Kable, S. H. (2008). What makes a good laboratory learning exercise? Student feedback from the ACELL project. Paper presented at the 20th International Conference on Chemical Education: Chemistry in the Information & Communications Technologies Age, Pointe aux Piments, Mauritius, 2008.
Griffin, F., & Gudlaugsdottir, S. (2008). Online quizzes for Operations Research – A case study. Journal of Asian Social Science, 4(3), 26-35.
Jamie, J., Jamie, I., Harrington, D., Vemulpad, S., Kohen, J., & Crowley, J. (2008). Engaging communities: The Indigenous Science Education Program. Proceedings of the 31st annual conference of the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia, Rotorua NZ.
Kaczynski, D., Wood, L. N. & Harding, A. (2008). Using radar charts with qualitative evaluation: Techniques to assess change in blended learning. Active Learning in Higher Education, 9(1), 23-41.
Rowe, A. D. & Wood, L. N. (2008). Student perceptions and preferences for feedback. Asian Social Science, 4(3), 78-88.
Wood, L. N. (2008). Communicating mathematics across culture and time. In H. Selin (Ed.), Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures (2nd. ed.). Boston: Springer.
Wood, L. N. (2008). Engineering mathematics – What do students think? ANZIAM Journal, 49, C289-C301.
Wood, L. N. (2008). University learners of mathematics. In Research in Mathematics Education in Australasia 2004-2007 (pp. 73-98). Rotterdam: Sense Publishing.
Wood, L. N. & Petocz, P. (2008). Learning Excellence and Development team: LEADing change in learning and teaching. Asian Social Science, 4(3), 2-9.
Buntine, M. A., Read, J. R., Barrie, S. C., Bucat, R. B., Crisp, G. T., George, A. V., Jamie, I. M., & Kable, S. H. (2007). Advancing Chemistry by Enhancing Learning in the Laboratory (ACELL): A model for providing professional and personal development and facilitating improved student laboratory learning outcomes. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 8, 232–254.
Jamie, I. M., Read, J. R., Barrie, S. C., Bucat, R. B., Buntine, M. A., Crisp, G. T., George, A. V., & Kable, S. H. (2007). From APCELL to ACELL – Expanding a multi-institution project for laboratory-based teaching and learning. Australian Journal of Education in Chemistry, 67, 7–13.
Petocz, P., Reid, A., Wood, L. N., Harding, A., Smith, G.H., Perrett, G., Mather, G., Houston, K., Engelbrect, J., & Hillel, J. (2007). Undergraduate conceptions of mathematics: An international study. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 5, 439-459.
Wood, L. N. (2007). Communicating mathematics across culture and time. In H. Selin (Ed.), Encyclopaedia of history of science, technology and medicine in non-western cultures. Boston: Springer.
Wood, L. N. & Harding, A. (2007). Can you show you are a good lecturer? International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 38, 939-947.
Wood, L. N., Joyce, S., Petocz, P. & Rodd, M. R (2007). Learning in lectures: multiple representations. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 38, 907-915.
Wood, L. N., & Kaczynski, D. (2007). University students in U.S.A. and Australia: Anticipation and reflection on the transition to work. International Journal of Employment Studies, 15(2), 91-106.
Wood, L. N. & Smith, N. F. (2007). Graduate attributes: Teaching as learning. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 38, 715-727.
Carmody, G., Godfrey, S., & Wood, L. N. (2006). Diagnostic tests in a first year mathematics subject. In Proceedings of the Assessment in Science Teaching and Learning Symposium (pp. 24-30). Available at http://science.uniserve.edu.au/pubs/procs/2006/
Griffin, F., & Gudlaugsdottir, S. (2006, July). Using online randomised quizzes to boost student performance in Mathematics and Operations Research. Paper presented at ITHET’06, UTS, Sydney.
Houston, S. K., Wood, L. N., Engelbrect, J., Harding, A., Kagesten, O., Holton, D., & Barton, W. (2006). Professional development of mathematics academics. Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on the Teaching of Mathematics at the Undergraduate Level, Istanbul, Turkey. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley.
Read, J. R., Barrie, S. C., Bucat, R. B., Buntine, M. A., Crisp, G. T., George, A. V., Jamie, I. M., & Kable, S. H. (2006). Achievements of an ACELL workshop. Chemistry in Australia, 73, 17-20.
Read, J. R., Buntine, M. A., Crisp, G. T., Barrie, S. C., George, A. V., Kable, S. H., Bucat, R. B., & Jamie, I. M. (2006). The ACELL project: Student participation, professional development, and improving laboratory learning. In Symposium Proceedings: Assessment in Science Teaching and Learning (pp. 113-119). Sydney: UniServe Science.
Wood, L. N. & Reid, A. (2006). Conversations with graduates: Reflections on learning mathematics. Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on the Teaching of Mathematics at the Undergraduate Level, Istanbul, Turkey. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley.
Wood, L. N., Smith, G. H., Mather, G., Harding, A., Engelbrecht, J., Houston, K., Perrett, G., Hillel, J., Petocz, P. & Reid, A. (2006). Student voices: implications for teaching mathematics. Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on the Teaching of Mathematics at the Undergraduate Level, Istanbul, Turkey. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley .
Reid, A., Wood, L. N., Petocz, P., & Smith, G. H. (2005). Intention, approach and outcome: University mathematics students' conceptions of learning mathematics. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 3, 567-586.
Wood, L. N. (2004). University mathematics teaching and learning. Research in mathematics education in Australalia 2000-2003. In B. Perry, G. Anthony, & C. Diezmann (Eds.), Research inmathematics education in Australalia 2000-2003 (pp. 219-245). Flaxton, QLD: Post Pressed.
D'Souza, S. M., & Wood, L. N. (2003). Rationale for establishing collaborative learning methods in first year mathematics learning. New Zealand Journal of Mathematics, 32(S), 47-56.
Reid, A., Petocz, P., Smith, G. H. Wood, L. N., & Dortins, E. (2003). Mathematics students’ conception of mathematics. New Zealand Journal of Mathematics, 32(S), 163-172.