Structure:
"The math workshop is an open learning space. During the lecture period, the workshop takes place once a week for two to three hours in a single-level lecture hall. This allows participants to get together in small groups. We encourage this because it seems to me to be particularly helpful for students to find strong social groups at the university. Participation is completely non-binding; students are welcome to come and go as they please. The working atmosphere is open, friendly, and constructive. Students do not receive any specific tasks from me in the math workshop, but work on their own chosen tasks or topics on site. If they encounter a problem or have a question, my tutors or I will support them. The tutors are students from higher semesters who have already very successfully completed the math exams at the University of Hohenheim and therefore also serve as role models. Since the participants are on a first-name basis with the tutors, there is less inhibition to ask them questions than to ask me. Sometimes, however, I am a bit pushy and sit down with our workshop participants without being asked. After all these years, I can tell when someone is stuck.
As I said, there is no input from me. The content comes from the students. They have to work on something. Of course, they will get more tasks from me to practice if they ask for some. The need for this increases especially before exams. Before the exam periods we offer the workshop daily. In some cases, up to 70 people come each day during that phase.
The reason to start the math workshop was because the office hours were used less and less. Moreover, the time constraints of office hours often lead to the lecturer explaining things too much too quickly. In the math workshop, I can do this task better: I answer a question in the dose that can be processed by the students at that moment. While they’re solving the exercise, I do not stand next to them but move on to the next person. This makes it easier to concentrate on solving the task. The students only get a little input from me and only when necessary. After a while, I come back and possibly give the next little push. That's the big advantage, because they're supposed to learn to fly."
Learning objective:
"We want to bring about a change in attitude toward math among those who come to us thinking it is normal for math to be a "horror” subject. Much can be accomplished through practice, persistence, wanting, doing, and asking. Students learn that you don't have to be born a math genius to pass the exam and that they can accomplish a lot through persistence. Knowing that you can work your way to success in a subject you tend to struggle in is helpful for your entire degree.
In addition, I also support the math workshop because I see that our students sometimes have a problem with social integration. The math workshop provides a space to arrive, get to know each other, and share ideas. The faster students make contacts, the easier they generally have it."
My finest hour always comes when math starts to become fun for students!"
Evaluation/ Feedback:
"The feedback we get from students is positive. The workshops are well attended, and especially before the exams the offer is gladly accepted. Students become even more grateful when they fail the exam and are preparing for the second attempt. This takes place during the non-lecture period, when the campus is empty and you won't find other students or faculty on campus here to help the first-semester students. Their self-confidence quickly plummets. Then, many students are really happy about the math workshop offer (again, daily for about 2 weeks), not least because in the math workshop they get to know other students who are in the same situation. Sometime students who are sharing a fate come together. They’ve really been able to help each other a lot, and this is the type of support we encourage."
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Social aspects
