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Dr Michael Jennings

Lecturer

School of Mathematics and Physics
Faculty of Science
msj@maths.uq.edu.au
+61 7 336 53255

Overview

I am interested in students' transition from high school to university mathematics, as well as the teaching and learning of first-year mathematics.

My main research area is the transition from high school to university mathematics. My 25+ years’ teaching experience on both sides of the secondary-tertiary transitional fence gives me an excellent understanding of student knowledge, allowing me to focus my teaching on specific, known problem areas such as algebra, calculus and contextual understanding.

I do not just rely on my background knowledge and communication skills, but also take a scholarly approach to generate new knowledge that informs my teaching. I use technology such as UniDoodle to gather data and then design innovative resources that support diverse student cohorts, including the SmartAss self-testing system. In 2015 I was awarded an OLT Award for Teaching Excellence. In 2010 I was awarded an ALTC Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning.

I have been successful in attracting competitive grant funding for teaching innovations. For example, I led an OLT Extension Grant on diagnostic testing. This grant saw the implementation of a unique diagnostic test system, GetSet, in four Australian universities. In 2008 I was part of a team that was awarded a UQ Teaching and Learning Strategic Grant to design the competency test (that is now GetSet) for first-year engineering students to assess knowledge of high school level mathematics, physics, and chemistry, and also the ability of the students to apply this knowledge. I was also a Chief Investigator on a Carrick Grant that developed a powerful and flexible electronic system called SmartAss that creates unlimited questions accompanied by fully worked solutions. This innovative system has been used with great success over a range of mathematics, science and business courses for the past 15 years. The system is also used in high schools.

I have also led numerous internally funded projects. These projects have developed a comprehensive range of new small-group learning resources for students in core engineering courses to complement a redeveloped student-focused mathematics learning space, an online diagnostic test with automatic correction and feedback to students and staff, numerous study guides for first-year mathematics courses, and a $99,000 Technology Enhanced Learning grant to update and improve SmartAss. All of these teaching innovation grants are aimed at improving students’ mathematical understanding along with their first-year experience.

I have been heavily involved in the work of the School’s Teaching and Learning Committee that has been responsible for improving the overall quality of teaching within the School. I mentor new staff, providing advice on teaching and assessment design.

I have also been involved in the development and review of the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics, and foster links between high school teachers and university lecturers through my role as Executive Committee Member and Treasurer of the Queensland Association of Mathematics Teachers.

I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a member of the UQ College of Peer Observers, and one of three members of the First Year in Maths National Steering Committee.

In my PhD I continued my research on subject selection and students’ mathematical understanding, which has allowed me to further improve my teaching.

Research Interests

  • Transition from secondary to tertiary mathematics
  • Teacher and lecturer perspectives
  • Teaching of first-year students
  • Active learning

Research Impacts

Teacher Magazine Podcaster, Qld Core Skills Test Auditor

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
  • Masters (Coursework) of Educational Studies (Adv), The University of Queensland
  • Postgraduate Diploma, Charles Sturt University
  • Bachelor of Arts, The University of Queensland

Publications

  • Journal Article: Advanced mathematics enrolment numbers: a crisis or fake news?

    Jennings, Michael (2022). Advanced mathematics enrolment numbers: a crisis or fake news?. Australian Mathematics Education Journal, 4 (1), 33-45.

  • Journal Article: A mathematics support programme for first-year engineering students

    Hillock, Poh Wah, Jennings, Michael, Roberts, Anthony and Scharaschkin, Victor (2013). A mathematics support programme for first-year engineering students. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 44 (7), 1030-1044. doi: 10.1080/0020739X.2013.823251

  • Book Chapter: Mathematics and the pharmacokinetics of alcohol

    Jennings, Michael and Adams, Peter (2013). Mathematics and the pharmacokinetics of alcohol. Teaching Mathematical Modelling: Connecting to Research and Practice. (pp. 597-606) edited by Gloria Ann Stillman, Gabriele Kaiser, Werner Blum and Jill P. Brown. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer Netherlands. doi: 10.1007/978-94-007-6540-5_51

View all Publications

Grants

View all Grants

Available Projects

  • Transition from high school to university mathematics

  • Analysis of mathematics exams

View all Available Projects

Publications

Featured Publications

  • Advanced mathematics enrolment numbers: a crisis or fake news?

    Jennings, Michael (2022). Advanced mathematics enrolment numbers: a crisis or fake news?. Australian Mathematics Education Journal, 4 (1), 33-45.

  • A mathematics support programme for first-year engineering students

    Hillock, Poh Wah, Jennings, Michael, Roberts, Anthony and Scharaschkin, Victor (2013). A mathematics support programme for first-year engineering students. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 44 (7), 1030-1044. doi: 10.1080/0020739X.2013.823251

  • Mathematics and the pharmacokinetics of alcohol

    Jennings, Michael and Adams, Peter (2013). Mathematics and the pharmacokinetics of alcohol. Teaching Mathematical Modelling: Connecting to Research and Practice. (pp. 597-606) edited by Gloria Ann Stillman, Gabriele Kaiser, Werner Blum and Jill P. Brown. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer Netherlands. doi: 10.1007/978-94-007-6540-5_51

Book Chapter

  • Mathematics and the pharmacokinetics of alcohol

    Jennings, Michael and Adams, Peter (2013). Mathematics and the pharmacokinetics of alcohol. Teaching Mathematical Modelling: Connecting to Research and Practice. (pp. 597-606) edited by Gloria Ann Stillman, Gabriele Kaiser, Werner Blum and Jill P. Brown. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer Netherlands. doi: 10.1007/978-94-007-6540-5_51

Journal Article

Conference Publication

  • A contextualised calculus unit for science students

    King, Deborah, Greenwood, Ava and Jennings, Michael (2023). A contextualised calculus unit for science students. The Learning and Teaching of Calculus Across Disciplines, Bergen, Norway, 5-9 June 2023. Kristiansand, Norway: MatRIC.

  • Perception of work environment and teaching preparedness amongst mathematics tutors

    Greenwood, Ava and Jennings, Michael (2020). Perception of work environment and teaching preparedness amongst mathematics tutors. The Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics Education, Online, 30 September - 2 October 2020. Sydney, NSW, Australia: University of Sydney.

  • Issues in the transition from secondary tertiary mathematics

    Jennings, Michael, Goos, Merrilyn and Adams, Peter (2017). Issues in the transition from secondary tertiary mathematics. International Congress on Mathematical Education, Hamburg, Germany, 24 - 31 July 2016.

  • I want to go to uni: should I study one maths subject or two in Years 11 and 12?

    Jennings, Michael (2013). I want to go to uni: should I study one maths subject or two in Years 11 and 12?. AAMT Biennial Conference 2013: Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers Conference 2013, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 10-13 July, 2013. Adelaide, SA, Australia: The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT).

  • Mathematical integration throughout the BE: lecturer expectations versus student knowledge

    Jennings, Michael, Kavanagh, Lydia, O'Moore, Liza and Haji Lakim, Siti (2012). Mathematical integration throughout the BE: lecturer expectations versus student knowledge. 23rd Annual Conference of the Australasian Association of Engineering Education (AAEE 2012), Melbourne, Australia, 3 - 5 December 2012. Melbourne, Australia: Swinburne University of Technology.

  • An open-access online question generator with fully worked solutions

    Jennings, Michael and Adams, Peter (2011). An open-access online question generator with fully worked solutions. Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT) and the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (MERGA) Conference 2011, Alice Springs, NT, Australia, 3-7 July 2011. Adelaide, SA, Australia: AAMT and MERGA.

  • The transition from high school to university: The University of Queensland perspective

    Jennings, Michael (2011). The transition from high school to university: The University of Queensland perspective. Volcanic Delta 2011: The Eighth Southern Hemisphere Conference on Teaching and Learning Undergraduate Mathematics and Statistics, Rotorua, New Zealand, 27 November - 2 December 2011. Christchurch; Auckland, New Zealand: University of Canterbury and The University of Auckland.

  • Issues in bridging between senior secondary and first year university mathematics

    Jennings, Michael Surman (2009). Issues in bridging between senior secondary and first year university mathematics. MERGA32, Wellington, New Zealand, 5-9 July 2009. Palmerston North, New Zealand: Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, Inc.

Other Outputs

Possible Research Projects

Note for students: The possible research projects listed on this page may not be comprehensive or up to date. Always feel free to contact the staff for more information, and also with your own research ideas.

  • Transition from high school to university mathematics

  • Analysis of mathematics exams

For Media assistance please contact The Office of Marketing and Communications, (07) 3365 1120

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ResearcherID: D-8869-2013

ORCID: 0000-0001-6219-0776

Personal Profile: Link

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