ACHIEVE draws enthusiastic participation

Kenny Rafel (left), the mathematics co-ordinator for ACHIEVE, and Dr Spencer Wheaton, the physics co-ordinator for the programme.

With support from UCT's Faculty of Science, the Committee for University Education in Science has spearheaded ACHIEVE, an intervention programme offering extra skills development in problem solving to first-year students. Physics and mathematics workshops ran on eight Saturdays in the second semester. Mathematics co-ordinator Kenny Rafel's model for these workshops was strongly influenced by Vincent Tinto and Uri Treisman's research on effective interventions that increase student success. Physics co-ordinator Dr Spencer Wheaton aimed at developing skills necessary for all science courses, with an emphasis on group work. ACHIEVE was attended by about 140 students.