MathSkills Newsletter

No. 3

March 1997

• "A Tale of Two Cultures" - by Adrian Simpson, University of Warwick

• Mathematics Diagnostic Testing in OLF Member Universities - by Peter Edwards, Bournemouth University
• How Computers Can Help Teachers and Learners - by Pam Bishop, CTI Mathematics, Birmingham University
• Embedding Core Skills - by Judy Ekins, Open University
• What do Employers Want? - by Ekkehard Kopp and Daniel Higgins, University of Hull
• Database of Resources and Innovations in Teaching Mathematics - by Neil Gordon and Daniel Higgins, University of Hull.

• Mathematics and the School Crisis - by Chris Ormell, Maths Applicable Group

The MathSkills Newsletter, in addition to its role in disseminating the results of the activities of the MathSkills Network, aims to provide a forum for discussion of a wide variety of issues related to the teaching and learning of mathematics in higher education.

A quick glance at the details of Ken Houston’s Innovations in Mathematics Teaching (SEDA), mentioned in Theme 3 of the Updates and Innovations section of this issue, will show that there is an enormous amount of creativity going in to the work on improving the enterprise of teaching and learning in mathematics departments across the country. In addition, mathematics education researchers are beginning to view tertiary and higher education as a mainstream part of their research domain and papers such as those detailed in Advanced Mathematical Thinking (Kluwer) are providing a solid theoretical framework which should enable teachers in higher education to make informed decisions about directions in which they may improve their teaching.

The MathSkills Newsletter would like to provide an opportunity for the issues raised by innovations and research to come together.

To do this, we encourage our readers to consider submitting a paper detailing innovations they may be implementing (or planning to implement) in their own teaching, or research they may have undertaken into any aspect of teaching and learning mathematics in higher education. We also encourage people to write ‘opinion papers’ detailing their views on some of the major issues in the field.

If you wish to submit a paper for consideration in any of these areas, please send it to:

Adrian Simpson
Institute of Education
University of Warwick
Coventry
CV4 7AL
a.p.simpson@warwick.ac.uk