Pilot online mathematics tutorials - you can take a horse to water...

Introduction This pilot project examined the provision of flexible support to University of Northampton (UoN) students who are unable to access mathematics and statistics support, due to individual time and distance barriers. Our study was initially only concerned with engineering students, but was subsequently opened to all students. With the increase in widening participation, distance learners and part-time students entering higher education, the demand for mathematics support has grown (Davies and Elias, 2002). The need for mathematics support also exists for traditional students, as good school grades can no longer guarantee a smooth transition to engineering courses (Croft and Grove, 2006). Currently at UoN, we provide any student on any course the opportunity to access one to one tuition in any mathematics and statistics-related query. This is done through drop-in sessions which take place throughout the week on campus. What happens to those students who are unable to attend the drop-in sessions? Following discussions with sigma and their subsequent funding of the project it was decided that the best way to support students who could not attend drop-in sessions was to provide an online one to one tutorial via video conferencing. Masouros and Alpay (2010) assert that this is a key attribute in providing an effective online learning resource. This pilot intended to examine the effectiveness and uptake of providing this support, the benefits to both students and staff as well as identifying any barriers.