Numeracy
Are you finding that your numeracy skills are not quite up to the level needed to complete your work?
Sometimes the maths skills needed for some subjects may be a surprise for students who were not aware that maths would be involved, for example drug calculations for nurses or statistics for marketing.
For students using English as an additional language, the issue may be the use of specialised words in mathematics.
General numeracy skills
Online resources
The following websites provide a variety of resources ranging from revision on specific topics to whole courses.
A selection of other university resources:
- A university with resources to share is Victoria University. Our review.
- Another university with resources to share is RMIT University Our review.
Revising speccific topics:
- Browse this ‘library’ of videos on your topic of interest or need. Our review of this site.
- This Australian website is very useful for learning and practice of maths topics, graded by school year level. Our review.
- Another site worth visiting, although you have to move around advertising; the examples and practice are useful. Our review.
Short online courses
- If you would like to do a maths-related course within a short time, consider enrolling in a free course. Our review.
- An even larger range of courses, including maths-related courses, is also available free. Our review.
- If you seek learning at your own pace, then these free courses may interest you. Our review.
Some other resources:
- A slightly different free online site. This site is used by teaching institutions to create materials. Our review.
- Online resources for medical drug calculations. Our review.
- Nursing calculations resource from RMIT. Our Review.
Coping with Maths anxiety
Is Maths causing you to be anxious? Being a little anxious is normal; even professors will admit to it! Maths anxiety is a learned response and can be un-learned.
There are ways to reduce your anxiety. We have a resource, adapted to La Trobe University conditions from University of Texas materials.
Sometimes the issue is the language of maths. To help with some maths word problems:
- Read the problem in its entirety
- List the variables
- Define what you need, including the units of measurement
- Organize yourself with diagrams and writing
- Look for key words
- Know the ‘vocabulary’ of calculating (‘increased by’, ‘per’, ‘less than’, …) and the associated operator (addition, division, subtraction, ….)
More explanations here.
Maths skills for specific courses
- Maths for Business courses: https://lectopia.latrobe.edu.au/lectopia/staff/recordingedit.lasso?RecordingID=81836&-SkipRecords=0#
- Maths for Psychology
- Maths for the Sciences
- Maths for Education courses
- Maths for Health Sciences
- Maths for Social Science
Resources for staff
- How students learn Maths
- Review of online diagnostics and support
- La Trobe Maths support programs
- Annual Teaching Maths Symposium
