The Open University has over 4000 students registered on its undergraduate engineering qualifications. The majority of these students work full-time and over a third have previous educational attainment below A level.
Students consistently report difficulty with mathematics concepts and frequently view mathematics as a ‘necessary evil’. Reflecting on qualitative student feedback and quantitative results’ data the Engineering Programme at the Open University has restructured its curriculum to incorporate mathematics teaching in an engineering context and to cease ‘service’ teaching of mathematics. Less emphasis is placed on mathematical proof and derivation and greater emphasis is placed on understanding basic concepts and creating useful models. Personal and professional development planning has been embedded into engineering teaching giving it improved context and relevance. Assessment strategies have been developed at the qualification level and are designed to build students confidence whilst being fully aligned with the intended learning outcomes.
