ANPAK - A supplementary course

Based on annual statistical investigations at the FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences, a mathematics entrance exam was developed to determine the probability of engineering students being successful at the beginning of their studies. A test result of less than 25 points (out of a maximum of 56) has proven to reduce the chance for a successful start at the University. Approximately 50% of the first-year students score lower than 25 points, and less than 20% of this group pass the 'Mathematics I' exam during their freshman year. In terms of the knowledge gained, the time invested (i.e. two semesters) was not used efficiently. Therefore, in the winter semester 2013/14, we established a mathematics refresher course for students with low scores on the entrance exam. The aim of this course is to enable the students to understand the regular mathematics classes after their first year at the university. This article describes the concept of the supplementary course and shows the initial results and problems that occurred during the pilot phase.

10.11.2014 | Gerda Fiedler, Gudrun Henn & Karin Melcher (Aachen)