Assumed knowledge (Mathematics Skills)

Course: Assumed knowledge (Mathematics Skills) | OpenDesk

• General

• Introduction

  Topic

  Mathematics is often a part of university study, so it is important to develop the mathematical skills necessary for study within most disciplines. Resources are available for students who have maths anxiety or for students who are studying mathematics off-campus.

  Current students can access a range of video snippets, and QuickTips can help them to develop their mathematical skills.

  
  

• Test your Assumed Knowledge

  Topic
  Available until 31 August 2023, 11:55 PM

• Arithmetic and Pre-Algebra

  Topic

  This section includes resources to help to develop your skills with arithmetic.

  Videos

  Calculating with negative numbers (printable handout)

  This 10 minute video covers how to calculate with negative numbers.

  

  Order of Operations (printable handout)

  This 7 minute video covers the importance of the order of operations with examples.

  

  Fractions (printable handout)

  This 16 minute video covers:

  • Equivalent fractions 
  • Mixed number and improper fractions 
  • Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
    

  

  Decimals: Fractions in other forms (printable handout)

  This 11 minute video covers: 

  • the link between fractions and decimals 
  • converting between fractions and decimals 
  • percentages, including percentage increase and decrease 
  • rates
    

  

  QuickTips

  • Rounding Numbers
    
  • Scientific Notation
  • Percentages
  • Order of Operations

• Graphing

  Topic

  This section can support you to develop your skills with graphing.

  Videos

  Relationships as graphs (printable handout)

  This 8 minute video covers the Cartesian co-ordinate system and drawing graphs.

  

  Gradient (printable handout)

  This 6 minute video covers how to 

  • find the gradient (or slope) of a straight line (linear)
    
  • drawing a line using a point and the gradient

  

  The Linear equation (printable handout)

  This 9 minute video covers:

  • the linear equation
  • finding the gradient and the \(y\)-intercept
  • using the slope-point equation
  • equations of special lines (e.g. horizontal and vertical lines).
    

  

  QuickTips

  • Graphs

• Algebra

  Topic

  This section can support you to develop your algebra skills.

  Videos

  Introduction to Algebra: relationships in words  (printable handout)

  This 12 minute video covers

  • translating from words to symbols (relationships)
  • variables and expressions
  • collecting like terms.
    

  

  Substituting and rearranging equations (printable handout)

  This 12 minute video covers

  • Substituting values into equations
  • rearranging equations.

  

  Expanding Brackets (printable handout)

  This 19 minute video covers

  • Distributive Law
  • Expanding brackets (single, double and triple)
  • Common expansions to get to know.

  

  Algebra: Factorising quadratic expressions (printable handout)

  This 13 minute video covers:

  • simple factorisation (adding one set of brackets)
  • factorising quadratic expressions.

  

  Solving quadratic equations using factorisation (printable handout)

  This 7 minute video covers

  • quadratic equations
  • solving quadratic equations using factorisation.

  

  Solving quadratic equations using the quadratic formula (printable handout)

  This 12 minute video covers:

  • quadratic equations
  • the quadratic equation
  • using the quadratic equation
  • finding the number of solutions a quadratic equation will have.

  

  Solving simultaneous equations (using the substitution method) (printable handout)

  This 15 minute video covers the use of substitution method to solve simultaneous equations (two unknown variables and two equations).

  

  Solving simultaneous equations (using the elimination method) (printable handout)

  This 16 minute video covers the use of the elimination method to solve simultaneous equations (two unknown variables and two equations).

  

  Inequalities (printable handout)

  This 12 minute video covers graphing inequalities and rearranging inequalities.

  

  Algebraic fractions (printable handout)

  This 5 minute video  steps though cancelling when there is algebraic terms in both the numerator and the denominator.

  

  QuickTips

  • Rearranging linear equations

• Exponential and Logarithms

  Topic

  This section will help you to develop your skills in relation to Exponentials and Logarithms. 

  Introduction to exponentials (printable handout)

  This 3 minute video introduces the exponential equation for growth and decay along with the corresponding graphs.

  

  Index Laws (printable handout)

  This 16 minute video introduces:

  • power (or index) notation
  • power (or index) rules
  • using power (or index) rules to simplify expressions.

  

  Introduction to logarithms (printable handout)

  This 12 minute video shows an introduction to logarithms.  It has examples of using different bases and applying the different logarithms laws.

  

  Solving equations using logarithms (printable handout)

  This 7 minute video works through some examples of using logarithms to solve equations.

  

  
  

• Trigonometry

  Topic

  This section focuses on developing skills with Trigonometry.

  Pythagoras' Theorem (printable handout)

  This 4 minute video covers using Pythagoras’ Theorem.

  

  Introduction to Trigonometry (printable handout)

  This 10 minute video covers introduces:

  • labelling triangles for trigonometry
  • trigonometric ratios
  • worked examples using the trigonometric ratios