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Maths knowledge to be multiplied with amazing funding win
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Academics at the University of Wolverhampton have secured almost £300,000 funding from the West Midlands Combined Authority as part of the Multiply project.
The overall objective of Multiply is to increase the levels of functional numeracy in the adult population across the UK. The University has been contracted to develop a tutoring model using both Undergraduate and Postgraduate students that will then be rolled out across other Universities from April 2023 to address both delivery and workforce issues, namely the shortage of mathematics teachers.
The model will focus on providing tutoring support for adult learners, as a means of building workforce capacity. It will focus on those in work with busy lives with delivery through on-line resources supported by on-line small group tutoring.
Staff at the University have a demonstrated record of excellence in providing mathematics and numeracy support to people moving on to Higher Education and this will be combined with expertise from colleagues across the University in a collaborative effort to develop a strategy to achieve the Multiply goals over the next two years.
The successful application will combine expertise from the School of Engineering, Computing & Mathematical Sciences, the School of Education, the STEM Response Team and Aspire to HE in a multi-faceted approach which will deliver the final specification to the West Midlands Combined Authority in February 2023.
The project lead, Dr Liam Naughton, said: “This is a tremendous outcome for the University and for the members of the project team. Improving adult numeracy in the West Midlands is a key driver for the economy and we are delighted that the University of Wolverhampton has been tasked with developing the scope and specification to address this issue. We will work closely with partners in Higher Education and Further Education as well as with Independent Training Providers to determine the most appropriate strategy moving forward to support workers in raising their numeracy competence using University students as tutors in an innovative delivery model.”
Professor Diana Bannister, Director of the School of Education at the University, said: “This project will be a great opportunity to explore sustainable models for improving adult numeracy and to tackle some of the long-term anxieties that adults have about maths.”
The cross-University project team also includes Professor Amar Aggoun, Dr Martin Khechara, Gemma Kay, Abigail Parkes, Dr Fay Glendenning, Emily Rodden, Jordan Brennan, Dr Howard Scott, Dr Andrew Gascoyne and Heather Angell.
If you would like further information about the project, please contact Dr Liam Naughton l.naughton@wlv.ac.uk
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