Bridging the Mathematics Gap at TU/e: Pilot Implementation and Evaluation

Project introduction and background information

The transition from secondary to university-level mathematics presents a significant challenge for many incoming students. To address this gap, a digital bridging course was piloted at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), building on prior developments within the 4TU.CEE innovation framework.

The pilot, conducted during the 2025–2026 academic year, aimed to support students in strengthening foundational mathematical skills before starting Calculus courses. It was implemented across two study programs and designed to be flexible, accessible, and aligned with expected entry-level competencies.

Due to the absence of required software licences, the learning analytics component originally planned for the course could not be implemented during this pilot.

A total of 176 students were invited to participate, with approximately half actively engaging in the course.

Objective and expected outcomes

The main objectives of the TU/e pilot were:

• To evaluate student engagement with the bridging course
• To assess perceived usefulness in preparing for first-year Calculus
• To identify strengths and areas for improvement in course design
• To enhance student confidence in mathematical readiness
• To explore how this bridging course can take shape within the TU/e context, recognizing that a one-size-fits-all approach is not effective
• To explore the potential of learning analytics for monitoring learning behavior (planned but not implemented)

Results and learnings

The pilot at TU/e was carried out across two study programs. Of the 176 students invited, roughly half engaged in the course.

Survey results showed that most participants spent 3–4 hours on the material and found the overall difficulty to be moderate. Students rated the course as moderately to highly useful for preparing for Calculus, and many reported increased confidence in their ability to succeed.

Navigation was generally experienced as smooth. Participants also offered valuable suggestions for improvement, including enhancing exercise and video functionality, adding a sample exam, and aligning videos more closely with the exercises.

Due to the absence of licences, the learning analytics component could not be implemented. As a result, insights into detailed student interaction patterns and learning behaviors were limited to self-reported data rather than system-generated analytics.

These findings highlight the importance of usability, alignment of materials, and formative assessment in supporting student learning.

Recommendations

Based on the pilot results, the following recommendations are proposed:

• Improve alignment between instructional videos and exercises
• Enhance interactivity and functionality of exercises
• Continue optimizing user navigation and interface design
• Secure licences to enable implementation of learning analytics in future iterations
• Expand implementation across additional programs while maintaining flexibility

The next iteration of the TU/e Bridging Course will incorporate this feedback.

Practical outcomes

• A validated pilot bridging course tailored to TU/e students
• Evidence of increased student confidence and perceived preparedness
• Concrete improvement points for course redesign
• Identification of the need for learning analytics infrastructure
• A scalable model for broader adoption within TU/e and beyond