| Unit name | Mathematics for STEM |
|---|---|
| Unit code | LANG00035 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | QCA-3 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Mr. Tim Walker |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
IELTS: minimum 5.5 overall; minimum 5.0 in Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing components, or equivalent. Students should have the appropriate qualifications in Mathematics at the equivalent of QCA level 2. |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
Not applicable |
| School/department | Centre for Academic Language and Development |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
This unit is designed to prepare you for undergraduate programmes which require a solid understanding of fundamental mathematics ideas and their practical applications. Content in this unit overlaps with both Mathematics and Further Mathematics A-level courses but is bespoke for the prerequisites and needs of the first year undergraduate programmes you will progress to.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
This unit is taken alongside Foundations of Physics to prepare you for a wide range of Engineering and Physics programmes, or alongside Foundations of Chemistry to prepare you for certain science programmes, such as Chemistry and Earth Sciences.
An overview of content
In this unit you will explore algebraic manipulation, properties of common functions, calculus to study change, linear algebra, and common techniques for analysing data.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
Students will consolidate and extend on level 2 mathematical ideas in addition to exploring level 3 mathematics concepts. Learning will be a mixture of guided independent study, assessment for learning, and collaborative tasks designed to encourage community, belonging, and the development of individual and teamwork study skills. Teaching and learning will provide diverse opportunities to build students’ confidence to contribute in workshops and effectively act on feedback. Students will be given insights into their future study at the University of Bristol by suggested further study (extension tasks) relevant to a range of undergraduate programmes.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the unit, students will be able to:
1. Manipulate expressions and series using algebraic techniques
2. Recognise, manipulate, and solve with common equations and their graphs
3. Use calculus to describe and analyse change and a summations of a functions
4. Manipulate and use vectors and matrices
5. Use concepts in probability theory
Learning is facilitated in weekly classroom sessions involving a combination of teacher-led input, and practical, workshop-style exercises. In addition to activities in class, appropriate e-learning technologies will be used for self-assessment as well as further self-study.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
When assessment does not go to plan
Any student registered on the International Foundation Programme will be offered a conditional place on an undergraduate degree at the University of Bristol. Students must meet the entry requirements to be admitted onto an undergraduate degree at the University of Bristol. Different degree programmes may have different entry requirements. The IFP Board will review the mark profiles of all students who are close to attaining the entry requirements but are outside the previously agreed near miss criteria and may agree to admit them to a degree programme. If not admitted, students may be offered a further opportunity (i.e. two attempts in total) to meet the entry requirements for their intended degree programme at the University of Bristol by re-taking a relevant assessment. Marks are not capped for this purpose. If a student is absent or their performance in assessment is significantly affected due to exceptional circumstances, they may re-take the relevant assessment at the next appropriate time, without penalty.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. LANG00035).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
