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Linda Galligan
University of Southern Queensland

Ron Addie
University of Southern Queensland

Linda Stern
Nanango State High School

Taryn Axelsen
University of Southern Queensland

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Abstract

While many students hold negative attitudes towards mathematics, research has found that such negative perceptions can be addressed by showing students how mathematics can be relevant to their lives (Galligan and Woolcott, 2015). Indeed studies in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education have found that students become more interested in engaging in these areas if the learning opportunities presented to them are more personally relevant and presented in a manner that an involves active learning, student-focused approach (Christensen, Knezek, and Tyler-Wood, 2015; Maass and Artigue, 2013; McGregor, 2016).
The program reported in this paper has been designed to address student engagement through an active learning approach that is presented through regionally relevant group-based learning activities. The program being reported in this paper is the University of Southern Queensland’s (USQ) Mathematics Rural and Regional Communities (MRRC) project. This project is an extension to the Mathematics Enrichment Program (MEP), which has been running since 2007. Since the MEP’s inception, more than 500 students, 29 schools, 15 pre-service teachers (who are involved to gain practical teaching experience) and many volunteer university lecturers and other mathematics and education professionals have been involved. Through an interactive virtual environment, the MRRC project connects regional high schools to USQ’s two campuses to build the capacity of the teachers and students involved. In this paper the authors describe the overall aim and structure of the MRRC program, preliminary evaluations of the program, analysis of the virtual space and future plans for the program.

About the authors

Linda Galligan

Linda Galligan is an Associate Professor and Discipline Coordinator of Mathematics and Statistics with the Faculty of Health Engineering and Sciences at the University of Southern Queensland. She teaches into first year mathematics, and has strong links with schools providing mathematics programs and activities for students and teachers. Her research includes language and mathematics; students’ and lecturers’ perceptions of student preparation for numeracy demands of university, and models of embedding academic numeracy in university programs. More recently, her focus has been on the use of Tablet technology to effectively teach mathematics; and using modelling to improve pre-service teachers’ deep understanding of mathematics.

Ron Addie

Ron Addie is an Associate Professor with the Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences at the University of Southern Queensland. Ron Addie received his BSc degree from Monash University in 1972 and completed his PhD at Monash University in the area of semi-Markov queues in 1986. From 1972 to 1992, he worked in Telecom Australia Research Laboratories where he was involved in the development of ATM, teletraffic, and network analysis and design. In 1992 he moved to the University of Southern Queensland, where he is holds the position of Associate Professor. His current research interests include queueing theory for long-range dependent traffic, rare event simulation, layered network design, network analysis, design and simulation software and security of web information systems. He is the author or co-author of many journal and conference papers, primarily in the area of communications, with more 1000 citations (according to Google Scholar).

Linda Stern

Linda Stern is an experienced Mathematics teacher at the Mathematics/E-Learning Head of Department at Nanango State High School, Queensland.

Taryn Axelsen

Taryn Axelsen is a Lecturer in statistics with the Faculty of Health Engineering and Sciences at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ). She teaches first, second and third year courses in mathematics and statistics and has strong links with schools providing mathematics programs and activities for students and teachers. She has been involved for several years in the mathematics enrichment program at USQ. She also works as a statistics consultant on a range of different programs throughout the university. Her research interests include self-theories, overcoming statistics anxiety, advancements in technology to enhance the teaching of university statistics and statistical enrichment for school aged students.