| Unit name | International Mentoring |
|---|---|
| Unit code | MATH30023 |
| Credit points | 10 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Yu |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
80 Level I/5 credit points plus interview and selection process |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Mathematics |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
Places on this unit are restricted and students need to attend a selection interview. Students will be notified whether they have been selected for the unit before the end of June 2020.
Unit Description
This unit will give Bristol undergraduates an opportunity to mentor (and learn from) groups of students studying the same subject overseas. It will be an option for students on the third year of a BSc or MSci Mathematics programme. Bristol mentors will each work with a small group of overseas students (typically 4-6) who are studying mathematics at either UK level 3 (A-level) or level 4 (first year undergraduate level). Overseas students will come from carefully selected overseas schools and colleges, who shall identify those of their students who would most benefit from the scheme to participate in the groups.
After receiving a short briefing covering good practice as well as potential cultural sensitivities specific to the overseas country in question, the Bristol mentor would give their group typically 8 x 1-hour tutorials spread over 24 weeks. These would be scheduled at mutually agreed times and delivered via Skype or some alternative mechanism. The topics of the tutorials would usually be suggested by the overseas students and should include the mentor discussing material the group has already encountered in their course, working through exercises with the group, giving the group a taster of more advanced topics and spending some time on more general conversation e.g. about student life in the respective countries. The tutorials would be delivered in English.
There are no formal lectures associated with this course but a mandatory 50 minute meeting will take place in week 5, 11 and 15 to compare experiences and discuss any problems that might arise.
The aims of the unit are to give the mentor experience of communicating and explaining material that is familiar to them in a small group environment. This is a valuable transferable skill. At the same time, it will both reinforce and challenge their understanding of key basic concepts in mathematics. It is well aligned with the Global Citizenship strand of Bristol Futures, as it will give the mentors an opportunity to learn about life in another country, gain the chance to develop teaching skills and apply discipline-specific knowledge in a completely new context. The overseas students will benefit both directly from additional subject-specific teaching and the opportunity to gain a deeper insight into their mathematics curriculum, and indirectly from the opportunity to work with and ask general questions of a mentor from a different background.
Relation to Other Units
Note that students taking MATH30020 Mathematics in Schools are not permitted to take this unit.
Student mentors will be confident teaching familiar material in a small group environment. They will develop key skills such as giving clear verbal explanations at a level appropriate to their audience and coming up with appropriate analogies to illustrate important concepts. Their cultural sensitivity will be enhanced.
After receiving a short briefing covering good practice as well as potential cultural sensitivities specific to the overseas country in question, the Bristol mentor would give their group typically 8 x 1-hour tutorials spread over 24 weeks. These would be scheduled at mutually agreed times and delivered via Skype or some alternative mechanism. The topics of the tutorials would usually be suggested by the overseas students and should include the mentor discussing material the group has already encountered in their course, working through exercises with the group, giving the group a taster of more advanced topics and spending some time on more general conversation e.g. about student life in the respective countries. The tutorials would be delivered in English.
There are no formal lectures associated with this course but a mandatory 50 minute meeting will take place during the unit to compare experiences and discuss any problems that might arise.
•50% Interview
•50% Tutorial Diary
None
