UNIVERSITY OF HERTFORDSHIRE
           COMPUTER SCIENCE RESEARCH COLLOQUIUM

                   in conjunction with

          THE SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND CREATIVE ARTS
               LEARNING AND TEACHING SEMINAR

                         present


          "The Transition from Secondary School to 
            University in Mathematical Sciences"


                    AProf. Megan Clark
                (Victoria University, New Zealand)

               19 October 2011 (Wednesday)
                    Meeting Room C152

                Hatfield, College Lane Campus
                        2-3  pm

                Everyone is Welcome to Attend

                Refreshments will be available

Abstract:

There is an assumption throughout much of the English-speaking world that
the transition from secondary school study in mathematics to first year
university should be made a smooth as possible to maximise learning. On
the basis of that assumption foundation courses and other mechanisms
have been established to address deficits students may have. Based
on my work with Lovric (McMaster) this talk argues for a different
model of transition, based on the anthropological notion of a "rite of
passage", that is as least as well justified and may be more effective
and satisfying for students.


About Megan Clark:

Megan Clark is Head of the School of Mathematics, Statistics and
Operations Research at the Victoria University of Wellington, New
Zealand, where she has been teaching "that large first year course
that other staff shy away from" for forty years. Before she became
interested in what anthropology had to offer teaching practice, she was
known primarily for her research on factors affecting the performance
of minority students. She has received both the New Zealand Suffrage
Medal and the Royal Society Bronze Medal in recognition of her services
to science education.



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Hertfordshire Computer Science Research Colloquium
http://homepages.stca.herts.ac.uk/~nehaniv/colloq