| Unit name | Mathematical Investigations |
|---|---|
| Unit code | MATH10009 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Schubert |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
A in A Level Mathematics or equivalent |
| Co-requisites |
MATH10015 Linear Algebra, MATH10011 Analysis, and MATH10012 ODEs, Curves and Dynamics |
| School/department | School of Mathematics |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
Unit Aims
Independent studying is a key skill of mathematicians. In this unit students work in teams on three mini-projects and explore in workshops topics related to their studies, all with the overall aim to foster independent study skills. Other benefits will be a better understanding of our assessment criteria, learning how to give and receive feedback and easing the transition from School to University by providing an opportunity to make friends and work with other students.
Unit Description
Investigation projects: Students have weekly meetings in small groups with their personal tutor to discuss the three mini-projects that they are working on over the year. For each investigation project they break up in small teams. produce a short report (in LaTeX) and give a presentation at the end of each activity. The meetings are used to support the students; students will give updates on their progress and report on problems. Some sessions will focus on skills, like how to write mathematics, how to prepare a presentation and how to assess a project report.
Investigation workshops: There will also be weekly workshop sessions where students meet for a 2-hour block each week assisted by a teaching assistant. For the first hour students self-organise into small groups to work through the steps of that week's investigation workshop, with the teaching assistant on hand for support and guidance. Once students have finished their worksheet they have the opportunity to engage in further discussions, either about the topic that they just studied or about questions related to current homework problems.
The goals of the investigation workshops are
Investigation topics: The topics of the investigation projects and workshops will be linked to other units in the curriculum and the workshops will see an emphasis on topics from Analysis and, to lesser extent ODEs, Dynamics and Curves. All workshops in a given week will have the same topic. The topics for the mini projects will offer the possibility to explore the material beyond what has been covered in the units.
At the end of the unit, the students should:
weekly meetings with supervisor mini-projects, weekly workshops, independent study and working in teams to progress mini-projects
Formative assessment:
Summative assessment:
To receive credit for this unit, students must attend and engage with the investigation workshops. Failure to do so may result in credit being withheld, even if the overall mark is above the pass mark for the unit. Supplementary or resit assessment of this unit is only possible through engagement in the following academic year.
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