Teaching and learning

You will learn through a mixture of timetabled classes and independent studying, and through working on different kinds of coursework and projects.

Teaching style

We teach mathematics using a mixture of lectures and workshops. Our students will have approximately 15 hours contact time per week, but this can vary depending on the courses they have taken, and their year of study.

Lectures

The majority of content will be delivered via lectures. We like to encourage collaborative and interactive learning where possible and this is often reflected in the way we teach our lectures.

Our Year 1 lectures are interactive and are built around a series of questions which you answer using an app called Wooclap. This enables the lecturer to see how well the class understands a new concept. If it is a difficult concept, there will be a few minutes of discussion in small groups before the question is attempted again. The discussion resolves misconceptions and deepens understanding. Not only does this make it easier for you to stay engaged with the lecture, but research has shown you learn better this way.

Later on in the degree, you may encounter a more traditional lecture style, but students are encouraged to continue a collaborative approach to learning and discuss mathematics outside of the classroom.

To support lecture content, you will often be asked to complete subject reading before attending the lecture. This means that when you are learning in lectures, you are encountering the topic for a second time, helping to solidify your understanding.

Workshops

The majority of our courses have regular small-group teaching sessions called workshops, to support material delivered in lectures. Workshops enable you to explore problems in more depth and practise the maths you have learned in lectures, with staff on hand to help you.

You will work with four or five other students in rooms specially designed to facilitate cooperative group work. Each pair of tables has a tutor who is on hand to guide you through the activities of the session. Tutors will also provide feedback on assignments and give you a chance to ask for help with any aspect of the course.

Where will I be taught?

Mathematics teaching for both lectures and workshops takes place at the King’s Buildings campus, often in the James Clerk Maxwell Building or the Nucleus Building. 

Assessment

In the first and second year we have mainly ‘open book’ exams where you can use a textbook and your notes. This is because we want you to concentrate on understanding and using the ideas and concepts involved, instead of just memorising procedures.

In most courses you will have regular assessments (both written and online) so that you can get feedback on your progress. Examples include regular online quizzes, or practice questions marked by a tutor. These typically count for a part of the course grade so that your grade is not solely based on the exam.

After first year we have some courses assessed entirely by coursework, usually reports or presentations.