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Home About us Contact us A-Z Contents News Newsletter Projects Publications Workshops The Higher Education Academy	Page Guide: Home Welcome to the Maths, Stats & OR Network Supporting lecturers in Mathematics, Statistics and Operational Research and promoting, disseminating and developing good practice in learning and teaching across the UK. Higher Education and the workplace - supporting employer engagement in engineering and physical science Date: 15 January 2008 Location: Broadway House Conference Centre (EEF), Westminster, London Are you involved with engineering and physical science education: as an employer, strategic-level academic, member of a professional body, careers adviser, member of a Sector Skills Council, or in any other significant way that has an interest in the skills and career development of the future workforce? The Government's direction is towards increasing the numbers of employees having higher-level skills through co-operation between employers and academics to develop appropriate programmes of study. This conference seeks to present the various perspectives on this agenda, as well as the key findings from recent initiatives in engineering and physical science. It will promote discussion on these issues and seek to define the opportunities for taking the process forward. At the end of this one-day event you should have a clearer understanding of what your next step should be in widening participation in Higher Education through employer engagement and the development of work-based learning. The conference is being organised by the Higher Education Academy Subject Centres for Engineering, Physical Sciences and Materials in collaboration with the 'Engage' project partners (SEMTA, COGENT, EUSkills, New Engineering Foundation, ECUK, EPC, Unilever, and the engineering CETL). To obtain more information on the conference and to register please visit: http://www.engsc.ac.uk/nef/events/engage-conference.asp Quick links: Download flyer \| More information Call for proposals - Good Practice Guide in Undergraduate Peer Support For several years the MSOR Network, in conjunction with sigma - centre for excellence in mathematics & statistics support, has being developing a programme of activities associated with supporting specialist mathematics and statistics students, particularly those beyond year 1. Amongst the evidence emerging from this programme is the potential that peer support mechanisms can have in motivating and encouraging students. As a result the Network wishes to commission one of its Good Practice Guides to identify, synthesise and share current good practice in the area of undergraduate peer support mechanisms. The mechanisms of interest involve the use of undergraduates to support other undergraduates either in the same or different year groups, either in formal or informal situations. We invite colleagues to submit proposals to undertake this work. Whilst any well-argued case will be considered we expect the following activities to be included: 1. the preparation of a Literature Review focusing upon existing undergraduate peer support mechanisms primarily within mathematics, but if appropriate in related disciplines; 2. a survey of current practices within UK HEIs.; 3. the production of an overview and summary of existing models which should contain, as a minimum, Information on the extent of current practice Descriptions of the models Any identified successes Any challenges and constraints Details of implementation procedures Useful information on monitoring and evaluation 4. recommendations to help those wishing to implement peer support mechanisms within their own institutions. Up to £5000 is available for an individual or group to undertake this work. Experience shows that work of this nature is often better produced as a collaborative effort so we encourage submissions with more than one author. Submissions by sole authors will be considered but these should demonstrate the involvement of a critical friend who will work with the author to ensure quality of the finished article. Copies of existing Guides in the series can be viewed on http://www.mathstore.ac.uk/publications Proposals should be submitted using the template available on http://www.mathstore.ac.uk/projects to Janet Nuttall (j.nuttall@bham.ac.uk). The expected duration of the work is 12 months. Informal enquiries can be made: contact Michael Grove (m.j.grove@bham.ac.uk) (tel: 0121 414 7095) or Tony Croft (a.c.croft@lboro.ac.uk) (tel: 01509 223185). Closing date Friday 11th January 2008. In addition to production of the Guide authors will be expected to: present a "work in progress" paper at the CETL MSOR Conference in Lancaster University Sept. 2008. submit an article on their project for publication in MSOR Connections contribute to a forthcoming MSOR Workshop on Peer Support. Authors of the Guide will have access to an informal advisory group from the MSOR Network which will offer support and guidance. Quick links: Click here to download a Peer Mentoring Guide Application Form [Word doc] Invitation to Tender for Learning & Teaching Projects The Maths, Stats & OR Network will again be offering funding for a limited number of projects investigating learning & teaching to commence in Spring 2008. Up to £5000 is available for any one project, and collaborative applications are welcome. While any well argued case will be considered, this year we are particularly keen to receive proposals on the theme of assessment. Application forms, and further details can be found on the website at http://www.mathstore.ac.uk/projects or contact us at info@mathstore.ac.uk. The closing date for all applications is Friday 25th January 2008. Submission is via application form only. For informal discussions, please contact M.J.Grove@bham.ac.uk. Quick links: Click here to download Application Form 2007/08 [Word doc] Supporting Postgraduates who Teach Series of regional workshops - Autumn 2007 Further Details Maths and Physics: what is the problem? Wednesday 14 November 2007 12.00 - 16.30 CEEBL, C24 Sackville Street Building Join CEETL and MSOR-related colleagues for an afternoon of presentations and discussions dedicated to implementing Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in the Maths and Physics disciplines. Further information and booking: http://www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/ceebl/events/mathsandphysics/ Birmingham Engineering Student Alex Smith Wins $25,000 Wolfram Turing Machine Prize Alex Smith, an engineering student from the University of Birmingham, has won the US $25,000 Wolfram 2,3 Turing Machine Research Prize. In May 2007, the Wolfram 2,3 Turing Machine Research Prize was established to be awarded to the first person or group to prove either that Wolfram's Turing machine is universal, or that it is not. Alex Smith was able to demonstrate - with a 50 page proof - that Wolfram's Turing machine is, in fact, universal. This result ends a half-century quest to find the simplest universal Turing machine. It demonstrates that a remarkably simple system can perform any computation that can be done by any computer. "I had no idea how long it would take for the prize to be won", said Stephen Wolfram. "It could have taken a year, a decade, or a century. I'm thrilled it was so quick. It's an impressive piece of work." The immediate implications of the result are primarily scientific, but potential future implications include the possibility of using Wolfram's 2,3 Turing machine to construct a computer operating at a molecular scale. "I saw the prize problem primarily as a puzzle", said Alex Smith. "At first, I didn't think the Turing machine would be universal. But then I found a way to show that it is." Alex is an undergraduate studying Electronic and Computer Engineering at the University of Birmingham. He grew up in Birmingham, and was an alternate for the UK International Mathematical Olympiad team. His proof will be published in journal Complex Systems. An official prize ceremony will be held at the Bletchley Park site of Alan Turing's wartime work. Further details DDIG Workshop Dyscalculia and Numeracy Testing 4th December 2007 Roehampton University Further Details CETL-MSOR Conference Proceedings 2006 NOW Online Disciplinary Perspectives: 2nd International Conference on the preparation of doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows (early career academics)...Call for papers University of Oxford, 8-9 April 2008 This conference - organised by the Centre for Excellence in Preparing for Academic Practice, and held at St. Anne's College, Oxford - will be of interest to: disciplinary academics actively examining their research pedagogies; higher education researchers studying the experiences of early career academics; and, academic developers evaluating activities directed at early career academics. The scope of the conference includes any aspect of academic practice linked to the development of early career academics. Some examples are: inquiry - e.g. opportunities for learning about project management teaching e.g. formal sessions, practica that provide a venue for developing teaching expertise service e.g. formal sessions, practica that make apparent the nature/ importance of service, that is providing leadership, contributing to discipline, university and society career development e.g. formal sessions or mentoring programs that make apparent the range of academic career possibilities If you want to register for the conference, please contact Richard.Arnold@learning.ox.ac.uk For more conference information, please go to http://www.learning.ox.ac.uk/cetl.php?page=196 The deadline for the receipt of conference paper proposals is 15 October 2007. To submit a paper download the conference paper proposal form [Word]

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