Ina Du Plessis's research while affiliated with University of Pretoria and other places

Research with first year engineering students on an extended programme at the University of Pretoria indicates that competence in mathematics can be enhanced through academic support that combines the development of mathematical and non-mathematical skills. This paper investigates the effect of this approach on students' performance in mathematics and their tertiary academic success. Longitudinal data based on student feedback and the performance of the 2000 and 2001 group of first entrant students who enrolled for the extended programme is presented. The achievement in mathematics and the graduation of students are compared. Results indicate that the achievement in mathematics of at-risk students who received developmental support compares favourably with that of students on the standard study programme in engineering. Analysis of student feedback indicates that support given at first year level can be regarded as an important contributor to both competence in mathematics as well as the successful completion of engineering study.

Academic support programmes have retention, mostly of an identified group of at-risk students who show the necessary academic potential, as the ultimate goal. Support programmes are planned and structured carefully and institutions provide financial aid and other resources to reach this goal. However, the role that the institutions and academic support programmes per se fulfil in the intrinsic development of these students are often overlooked. Being at-risk can be ascribed to various factors such as underpreparedness due to a disadvantaged educational background; unrealistic expectations regarding what engineering education entails; an inability to cope with the demands of tertiary education; the transition from a secondary to a tertiary learning and teaching environment; a lack of motivation and limited career information. These factors are not overtly perceived and coincide with a developmental stage at an age in the life cycle of students which is often described as a time of inner conflict, identity crisis and uncertainty. The Five Year Study Programme in the School of Engineering at the University of Pretoria was instituted to create opportunities for students who have the potential to become engineers but who do not meet the entrance requirements for the standard Four Year Study Programme. Depending on their educational background, at-risk students enrol for a support course during their first year of study. This paper investigates the effect of an academic support programme in engineering on the intrinsic development of at-risk students. Longitudinal data reflecting on the 2001 group of entrant engineering students who enrolled for the academic support programme is presented as completion of studies could be expected in 2005. The academic performance of students who enrolled for the support course, Professional Orientation, is compared with the academic performance of students who did not enrol for Professional Orientation. Results obtained from a questionnaire concerning the students' personal attributes, the academic environment and on campus interaction are also discussed. A blueprint for building partnership between at-risk students and the institution to promote the cognitive, personal, emotional and social development of these students, is suggested.

This paper reflects on experiences and results gained during 2000-2002 involving first-year engineering students on a support course in the School of Engineering at the University of Pretoria. The principles followed in this course are aimed at the development of personal, academic, communication and information skills as well as mathematical skills needed for understanding fundamental concepts underpinning a study in calculus. In addressing personal and academic skills, the effects of thinking style preferences and study orientation on performance in a first course in calculus were assessed. Analysis of the thinking style preferences indicates a diversity representing an array of preferences as measured by the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument and the Felder Solomon Index of Learning Styles. Analysis of data obtained from the Study Orientation Questionnaire in Mathematics Tertiary shows that these students enter tertiary education with a lack of skills that contribute to understanding mathematics. Effective communication, both spoken and written, is a required ability for engineers and the development of the skill to communicate mathematics is a focus in the support course curriculum. Aspects related to the interpretation, reading and writing of mathematics are addressed. Furthermore, computer technology is regarded as a useful tool in this process and application software is incorporated as vehicle for the development of mathematical, communication and information skills.