Talk Slides

Chris Graham, Newcastle University

<h1 style="font-size: 2.5em; text-transform: none;">Numbas at Newcastle</h1>
<p style="text-align: center; font-size: 1.2em;">Chris Graham</p>
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<a href="https://www.ncl.ac.uk" target="_blank">
<img alt="Newcaste University" class="nulogo" src="../../../static/images/logos/newcastle-university-logo.png"/>
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<p>School of Mathematics, Statistics & Physics E-Learning Unit</p>
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<section class="section2"><h2>In this talk</h2>
<p>A very broad overview of Numbas use at Newcastle University (UK).</p>
<p>Who is using Numbas and how.</p>
<p>Some observations of recent activity and trends here.</p>
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</section><section class="section2"><h2>10+ Years of Numbas at Newcastle</h2>
<figure class="figure1" data-title="10 years of Numbas"><img alt="10 years of Numbas" src="images/numbas10.png" width="90%"/></figure><hr/>
</section><section class="section2"><h2>E-Learning Unit</h2>
<p>Team of 4(ish) dedicated to supporting technology-enhanced teaching and learning in our School of Maths, Stats & Physics.</p>
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<h5>Newcastle University</h5>
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<h5>Faculty of Science, Agriculture & Engineering</h5>
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<h5>School of Maths, Stats & Physics</h5>
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<h5>E-Learning Unit</h5>
<img alt="Christian Lawson-Perfect" src="../../../static/images/people/christian.png" style="width: 50px; margin: 2px;"/>
<img alt="Aamir Khan" src="../../../static/images/people/aamir.jpg" style="width: 50px; margin: 2px;"/>
<img alt="George Stagg" src="../../../static/images/people/george.jpg" style="width: 50px; margin: 2px;"/>
<img alt="Chris Graham" src="../../../static/images/people/chris.png" style="width: 50px; margin: 2px;"/>
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<section class="section3"><h3>Numbas use by subject</h3>
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<span style="color: #8f452c; padding-right: 10px;">Accounting</span>
<span style="color: #278f3d; padding-right: 10px;">Biomedical Sciences</span>
<span style="color: #5b1387; padding-right: 10px;">Business</span>
<span style="color: #c48e0e; padding-right: 10px;">Chemistry</span>
<span style="color: #0d97a6; padding-right: 10px;">Computing</span>
<span style="color: #5f9109; padding-right: 10px;">Economics</span>
<span style="color: #7a0769; padding-right: 10px;">Engineering</span>
<span style="color: #3e5570; padding-right: 10px;">INTO</span><br/>
<span style="color: #48694f; padding-right: 10px;">Mathematics & Statistics</span>
<span style="color: #751925; padding-right: 10px;">Physics</span>
<span style="color: #736119; padding-right: 10px;">Psychology</span>
<span style="color: #eda30e; padding-right: 10px;">Sports Science</span>
<span style="color: #442954; padding-right: 10px;">Surveying</span>
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</section><section class="section3"><h3>Numbas use by school</h3>
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</section><section class="section3"><h3>Numbas in G100</h3>
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<td style="border-bottom: 0; padding-bottom: 0;">Stage 1</td>
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<div class="module module1b module-assessed">Transition material</div>
<div class="module module1 module-numbas">MAS1605</div>
<div class="module module1 module-assessed">MAS1606</div>
<div class="module module1 module-assessed">MAS1607</div>
<div class="module module1 module-assessed">MAS1608</div>
<div class="module module1 module-exam">MAS1701</div>
<div class="module module1 module-assessed">MAS1702</div>
<div class="module module1 module-exam">MAS1803</div>
<div class="module module1 module-assessed">MAS1902</div>
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<td style="border-bottom: 0; padding-bottom: 0;">Stage 2</td>
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<div class="module module2 module-assessed">MAS2702</div>
<div class="module module2 module-assessed">MAS2703</div>
<div class="module module2 module-assessed">MAS2707</div>
<div class="module module2 module-numbas">MAS2803</div>
<div class="module module2b module-assessed">MAS2804</div>
<div class="module module2b module-exam">MAS2806</div>
<div class="module module2b">MAS2903</div>
<div class="module module2b">MAS2904</div>
<div class="module module2b module-exam">MAS2906</div>
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<td style="border-bottom: 0; padding-bottom: 0;">Stage 3</td>
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<div class="module module3 module-assessed">MAS3701</div>
<div class="module module3">MAS3702</div>
<div class="module module3">MAS3705</div>
<div class="module module3">MAS3706</div>
<div class="module module3 module-numbas">MAS3707</div>
<div class="module module3 module-numbas">MAS3708</div>
<div class="module module3">MAS3802</div>
<div class="module module3 module-assessed">MAS3804</div>
<div class="module module3">MAS3808</div>
<div class="module module3 module-assessed">MAS3809</div>
<div class="module module3 module-numbas">MAS3810</div>
<div class="module module3">MAS3815</div>
<div class="module module3">MAS3902</div>
<div class="module module3">MAS3904</div>
<div class="module module3">MAS3804</div>
<div class="module module3">MAS3905</div>
<div class="module module3">MAS3907</div>
<div class="module module3">MAS3909</div>
<div class="module module3">MAS3911</div>
<div class="module module3">MAS3913</div>
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</section><section class="section3"><h3>Module example I</h3>
<p>MAS1607, moderate use</p>
<ul>
<li>Numbas practice sets organised by topic</li>
<li>Two hybrid in-course summative assessments (Numbas 50%).</li>
</ul>
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</section><section class="section3"><h3>Module example II</h3>
<p>MAS1803, high use</p>
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<li>Weekly practical handout questions</li>
<li>Weekly Test Yourself practice questions<ul>
<li>Warm up</li>
<li>Week's content</li>
<li>Bonus questions</li>
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</li>
<li>Two hybrid in-course summative assessments (Numbas ~60%)</li>
<li>Mock and final exam</li>
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</section></section><section class="section2"><h2>Preparing questions</h2>
<p>Pre-Covid, the E-Learning Unit (mostly) prepared Numbas questions on behalf of module leaders.</p>
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<p>Step change at the start of Covid:</p>
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<li>Lecturers often now write their own material</li>
<li>Postgraduates employed to develop material instead of marking</li>
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</section><section class="section2"><h2>Applications of Numbas</h2>
<p>Numbas is used throughout the student life-cycle in a number of different applications (each one probably a 15 min talk!)</p>
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<li>Pre-entry course and examination</li>
<li>Transition material</li>
<li>Diagnostic tests</li>
<li>Maths support</li>
<li>Module practice material</li>
<li>Laboratory/practical material</li>
<li>In-course assessments</li>
<li>Final exams</li>
</ul>
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</section><section class="section2"><h2>Some recent trends</h2>
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</section><section class="section2"><h2>Hybrid assessments</h2>
<p>Numbas and manual marking to enable more efficient, focussed marking.</p>
<figure class="figure2" data-title="A hybrid assessment question"><img alt="A hybrid assessment question" src="images/hybrid.png" style="width: 100%; border: 1px solid #333 !important;"/></figure><hr/>
<section class="section3"><h3>Programming extension</h3>
<p>More on Wednesday!</p>
<figure class="figure3" data-title="A programming extension question"><img alt="A programming extension question" src="images/programming.png" style="width: 800px; border: 1px solid #CCC !important;"/></figure><hr/>
</section><section class="section3"><h3>Explore mode</h3>
<p>Adaptive marking became an unlikely contender for doing laboratory experiments!</p>
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<p>Explore mode more naturally accomodates lab and practical activities.</p>
<figure class="figure4" data-title="A Numbas explore mode question"><img alt="A Numbas explore mode question" src="images/explore.png" style="width: 650px; border: 1px solid #CCC !important;"/></figure></div><hr/>
</section><section class="section3"><h3>Exams</h3>
<p>Pre-Covid we ran a very small number of in-person exams.</p>
<p>We use a "Numbas application" to deliver exams in a locked-down browser.</p>
<figure class="figure5" data-title="Numbas exams"><img alt="Numbas exams" src="images/exams.png" style="width: 650px; border: 1px solid #CCC !important;"/></figure><hr/>
</section><section class="section3"><h3>Evolution of exams</h3>
<p>2019/20: all semester 2, stage 1 exams in Maths, Stats & Physics moved online (pass-fail format).</p>
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<p>2020/21: Stage 1 exams stayed online in a "4 in 24" format.</p>
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<p>This year: ~20 exams planned in-person using a combination of our University lock-down exam system Inspera and Numbas.</p>
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</section></section><section class="section2"><h2>Institution support</h2>
<figure class="figure6" data-title="Institutional support"><img alt="Institutional support" src="images/institution.png" style="float:right; padding-left: 20px; max-width: 450px;"/></figure><p>Has taken a long time to develop.</p>
<p>What has helped:</p>
<ul>
<li>Working with other departments</li>
<li>Working with our central learning and teaching team</li>
<li>Sitting on committees and working groups</li>
<li>Applying for  small teaching grants and awards</li>
</ul>
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</section><section class="section2"><h2>Later this week</h2>
<p>More talks related to Numbas @ Newcastle:</p>
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<li>
<p>Later today: </p>
<ul>
<li>From CALM to Numbas </li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
<p>Wednesday:</p>
<ul>
<li>The programming extension</li>
<li>Longer computational question setting and marking using Numbas</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
<p>Thursday: </p>
<ul>
<li>Numbas for Chemistry</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
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</section><section class="section2"><h2>Thank you!</h2>
<p>Thanks for listening.</p>
<p>I can be contacted at <a href="mailto:christopher.graham@ncl.ac.uk">christopher.graham@ncl.ac.uk</a>.</p>
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