Welcome
About
The Imperial mathematics teaching seminar is a reading group for academics, teaching fellows and postgraduate students at Imperial College London who want to explore the many facets of teaching and learning in the mathematical sciences.
We gather once per month during term time to:
- discuss papers in education research;
- host internal speakers to raise awareness of teaching related projects, initiatives and best practises;
- host external speakers who are teachers or pedagogical researchers in mathematics, statistics and other closely related fields.
If you would like to give a talk or be added to the mailing list, please contact Zak Varty or Ioanna Papatsouma.
Upcoming Talks
Upcoming talks in the seminar series will be announced here.
- 26th February 2026 – Laura Johnston (UCL)
- 12 March 2026 – Prof Helen Wilson (UCL)
Speaker: Laura Johnston, University College London.
Title Making Sense of Clicks: Modelling Student Behaviour in VLE Data.
Abstract: Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs), such as Moodle and Blackboard, record digital traces of students’ interactions with online resources and activities within a module. These data provide new opportunities to analyse learning behaviours and outcomes. However, converting raw clickstreams into meaningful measures of engagement is far from simple: engagement is a complex, multidimensional concept, and VLE logs offer an incomplete and noisy behavioural proxy.
In this talk, I will present a framework for measuring engagement within modules using structured indicators derived from Moodle logs. By analysing the frequency, immediacy, and diversity of students’ interactions aligned with course structure, this method captures dynamic engagement patterns and explores how they relate to assessment outcomes. Throughout, I will highlight some of the practical challenges we have faced when processing and modelling VLE data.
Finally, I will discuss ongoing work on identifying behavioural profiles of students within and across modules. By grouping and characterising patterns of interaction over time, this work aims to reveal how behaviours evolve throughout modules and programmes, and how such insights can inform teaching design, assessment planning, and early intervention.
Based on joint work with Takoua Jendoubi (UCL), Jim Griffin (UCL) and Ioanna Manolopoulou (UCL).
Date: Thursday, 26 February 2026, 13:00-14:00.
Location: 145, Huxley Building Campus: South Kensington Campus.
Previous Talks
February 2026
Speaker: Prof Rachel Hilliam, The Open University.
Title: Teaching Statistics Trust Lecture – A Data Literate Society Without the Fear Factor.
Abstract: Data is everywhere and for everyone, but are we equipping our young people with the skills they need to extract meaning from vast datasets? Whilst data drives everything from the world’s economy, climate modelling, transport planning, predicting disease outbreaks through to individuals using fitness apps, watching recommendations from streaming services and GPS navigation, we still live in a society where there is poor statistical understanding amongst the public. Perhaps more concerning is the anxiety that many people exhibit when encountering statistics. Is our current school curriculum providing students with the correct skills to turn this around?
In 2024 two reports were produced setting out recommendations for the statistics curriculum in schools. The report from the Royal Statistical Society, “Key recommendations for the statistics curriculum in the UK”, suggested teaching mathematics and statistics as separate disciplines at secondary school level or putting a greater emphasis on the problem- solving cycle in the current mathematics GCSE.
The Royal Society report, “A new approach to mathematical and data education”, recommended a mathematical and data education framework with a general literacy strand based on developing the existing Core Mathematics qualifications. Both of these reports emphasize the need to embed data literacy skills throughout many school subjects and the need for long-term investment in professional development for teachers. Whilst the aspirations in these reports equate to a marathon and not a sprint, there is plenty that we can all do to prepare for the race ahead.
In this talk we will explore some aspects of statistical anxiety and how we can combat this in our teaching, statistical communication and outreach. I will highlight how statistics is used daily and in many school subjects without students realising and we will consider our role in shaping a future curriculum and what this could look like.
January 2026
Speaker: Prof Louise Walker, University of Manchester.
Title: Developing Scholarship with Students as Partners.
Abstract: Students as Partners (SaP) is a pedagogical approach in which students and academics work together to enhance teaching, learning and the student experience. Both parties bring their expertise as teachers and learners and both benefit from the experience. In this talk I will provide an overview of the research literature on SaP and describe some of our SaP projects in mathematics at the University of Manchester.
October 2025
Speaker: Claire Rebello, Imperial Maths School.
Title: Transition points – From A Level to Undergraduate Level
Abstract: What are the challenges facing students as they transition from learning and applying mathematics in their A Levels to doing so at undergraduate level? This talk will explore some of the factors that may affect students as they make the leap from 16-19 education to higher education, ranging from their foundational knowledge and conceptual understanding of the discipline, to broader changes in their learning environment. In addition, we will look at some of the strategies employed at Imperial Maths School, the mathematics specialist sixth form college established in partnership with the university, which are intended to smooth the journey between studying at school and studying at university. The session will also aim to open up a dialogue between teaching staff in different sectors to share their own experiences and understanding of the issues at hand.
March 2025
Speaker: Beth Hocking, Centre for Higher Education Research and Scholarship, Imperial College London.
Title: Measuring potential
Abstract: Patterns of participation in high tariff undergraduate higher education in England suggest difficulties in widening participation, particularly in STEM. Elite institutions, with high numbers of applicants per place, face the challenge of finding fair and practical approaches to selection. This involves the consideration of a range of philosophical, legal, strategic and cost issues.
Institutional and discipline-specific responses to this evolving challenge vary. Some favour ‘mechanised’ approaches to assessing potential and disadvantage, which prioritise admissions tests and widening participation flags. Both are cost effective and appear objective but hide complexity and interaction. Hence, over-reliance can result in distorted patterns of participation and affect course culture.
In this talk, Beth will discuss interim findings from her study about access to elite Mathematics higher education in England. Her qualitative study focuses on elite Mathematics potential, disadvantage and selection. Interviews with students, school teachers, lecturers and others have shed light on these issues and their impact on different social and gender groups. Findings are relevant to understanding current patterns of participation and reflecting on the role and influence of elite universities in the education system.
Febrary 2025
Speaker: Dr Emily Nordmann, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Glasgow.
Title: The place and case for lectures (and lecture capture)
Abstract: In this session I will discuss the evolution of research on lecture capture, from focusing on the links between recording live lectures and attendance, to the integration of using lecture recordings as a generic study skill, to the impact of recording on widening participation and inclusivity. I will argue that the experience of the pivot to online has shown that live, face-to-face lectures (with lecture capture) still have a place in higher education and that concerns about engagement must not be used to roll back the bare minimum of accessibility provision. Finally, I will discuss strategies and interventions for how to promote self-regulation and professionalism more generally.
January 2025
Speaker: Professor Elinor Jones, Department of Statistical Science, University College London.
Title: Getting Started in Tertiary Education Research.
Abstract: With education-focused roles in Higher Education becoming more common, there is an increasing emphasis on education-related scholarship for promotion and academic advancement. In this presentation, I offer some practical tips on getting started, including discussing what counts as education research and whether it differs from scholarship.
Drawing on insights from the inaugural UK Conference on Teaching Statistics (UKCOTS), I will address common challenges, including navigating the education research literature and building effective networks. I conclude with a call to action: as statisticians (and mathematicians!), can we use our skills to improve the quality and perceptions of education research not only in mathematics, but in other disciplines too?
December 2024
Speaker: Professor Hector Keun, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London.
Title: Prior university as educational destiny in postgraduate taught course admissions at Imperial.
Abstract: As part of my role academic lead for postgraduate taught education in the Faculty of Medicine I have been exploring the factors which determine which applicants are successful when applying for PGT study at Imperial, in particular the importance of prior university. My findings provide insights into how Imperial staff judge applications, what we think about undergraduate education at other universities and has relevance to theories of social reproduction.
March 2024
Speaker: Professor Rachel Hilliam, The Open University
Title: Should support for online students differ from ‘traditional’ support?
Abstract: Universities use a variety of ways to support their students and enhance their student experience. During covid it was often the support outside of traditional teaching sessions which were difficult for many places to replicate. The Open University has over 50 year experience of teaching and supporting students who learn online and at a distance. In particular the School of Mathematics and Statistics has for many years provided innovative ways of supporting students outside the ‘classroom’ environment was therefore well prepared to support students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This talk will outline some of the forms of support which are offered to students in the School of Mathematics and Statistics such as online forums to help students with module choice and taster resources including diagnostic quizzes for students to self-assess their readiness to study individual modules and receive targeted support. Since 2017, these resources, and more, have been incorporated into a multi-functional student-facing website. The website enables all units, both academic and non-academic, to provide consistent academic, pastoral and social support to students studying mathematics and statistics modules online. Analysis will be presented on how both staff and students use the site.
A particular focus of this talk will explain how the website mirrors the different stages of a student’s journey, providing a one-stop shop for students to self-serve and obtain appropriate support at each point in their own student lifecycle.
January 2024
Speaker: Dr Paul Northrop, University College London.
Title: Connecting students with statistical research
Abstract: I describe one of the research-based learning exercises initiated by the Department of Statistical Science at UCL. First-year undergraduate students are put into groups of five or six people and assigned a statistical research paper to read. Their task is to prepare, and submit for formative assessment, a short report that communicates the key themes of the paper to a non-specialist audience. To help them, they conduct a one-hour interview with an author of the paper. We reflect on the experience of running this assessment over the past 9 years. Feedback from students and staff has mostly been very positive, despite the considerable challenges that this type of assessment poses to students at such an early stage of their studies.