The maths arcade: A tool for supporting and stretching mathematics undergraduates

Abstract

The Maths Arcade is an activity which aims simultaneously to support those university mathematics learners who are having difficulties, stretch more confident learners, and encourage the development of a staff-student mathematical community. The first Maths Arcade was set up at the University of Greenwich in September 2010, funded initially by a University grant for innovative teaching and later by the Mathematical Sciences Curriculum Innovation Fund of the UK National Higher Education STEM Program. The idea was developed and disseminated through conference presentations and workshops, and this has led to Maths Arcades being initiated in at least ten other UK universities, with interest from other academic disciplines such as business, computing, and engineering. This chapter discusses the motivation behind the initial idea as well as some of the different implementations. It also shows how this activity has been used to support and retain students, and how it has contributed to student success both academically and in terms of graduates’ progression into appropriate professional careers.