Project introduction and background information
The mathematical skills of students graduating from VWO in the Netherlands are declining (https://www.mckinsey.com/nl/our-insights/toetsen-getoetst). Additionally, Wageningen University (WU) has a heterogeneous student population. Consequently, there is a considerable diversity in the obtained mathematical knowledge level of new students entering university, and some students require more time, assistance, and practice to gain command of mathematical topics than others.
Additionally, students and lecturers of more advanced quantitative courses are in need of a central resource where they can find high-quality and WU-tailored mathematical content which is often part of the assumed knowledge for these advanced courses. This to prevent lecturers spending a significant amount of time refreshing mathematical content at the start of their course.
To address these two problems, we developed a digital one-stop mathematics-help-platform ‘S.O.S. Math Help’ for introductory-level mathematics service courses. At its inception in the summer of 2025, it consisted of 11 topical chapters each with
- knowledge clips on the mathematical topic and their application to the WU domains;
- short written theory sheets; and
- automated formative assessment.
Objective and expected outcomes
The ‘S.O.S. Math Help’-platform was developed to move WUs mathematics education towards FAIR (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability) mathematics education. Its main objective was to provide students and lecturers with a centralized platform where they can access the most important topics of the introductory mathematics service courses taught at WU.
On the platform, students can watch, read, and practice with the content as much as they need to feel comfortable with it, any time, any place. Note that also high-achieving students benefit from the automated formative assessment as part of the assessment goes beyond what is expected for the introductory courses.
Additionally, lecturers of advanced quantitative courses can easily find what was treated in introductory mathematics courses, and how. This way, they can connect their content better to the assumed knowledge. In addition, the platform increases efficiency by allowing lecturers to refer students to it, rather than having to spend time on repeating these topics. This way, more focus can be put on new content in these courses. Furthermore, lecturers know that the platform adheres to the required mathematical standards and that the content is tailored to the WU domains.
Results and learnings
The project resulted in a digital mathematics resource hosted by Sowiso and accessible via Brightspace to both students and staff within WU. It covers 11 core topics, consisting of 22 interactive theory pages and 89 automated formative tailor-made exercise sets. Since its inception in the summer of 2025, more than 700 students (and lecturers) have used the platform, completing over 35,000 exercises and viewing the theory pages more than 16,000 times. These figures show that students actively use the environment both to practice mathematical skills and to revisit concepts when needed.
An important lesson learned is that developing high-quality digital learning material resembles software development more than writing traditional lecture notes. Initially, content was created by around ten different authors, resulting in noticeable differences in style, pedagogy and implementation. Moving to a small editorial team greatly improved consistency, quality and maintainability. The main challenge remains that substantial development requires dedicated time, making progress during the academic year much slower than during periods with allocated development time.
Since the platform is only accessible through BrightSpace with a WUR-account, we are unfortunately unable to provide a direct link to it here.
Recommendations
We have the following recommendations for others that plan on undertaking a similar project:
- Treat the development of digital learning materials as a long-term educational infrastructure project rather than a one-time content creation effort and budget it accordingly. For instance, ensure from the start that there is sufficient funding available for the required software.
- Invest early in editorial coordination to ensure a consistent pedagogical approach and sustainable maintenance.
- Integrating the platform into regular courses from the start increases student familiarity and long-term use.
- Finally, reserve dedicated development time outside normal teaching duties, as meaningful expansion and continuous improvement are difficult to achieve without structural capacity.
Practical outcomes
Although the original goal was to create a central repository of foundational mathematics knowledge, the project gradually evolved into a broader digital learning environment. Besides supporting self-study, the material is increasingly being integrated into regular mathematics courses. Students who become familiar with the platform during one course can continue using it later to refresh prerequisite knowledge for subsequent courses. We also expect the platform to play a larger role in diagnostic and preparatory activities in the near future.