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JACKIE NICHOLAS

Senior Lecturer and Head, Mathematics Learning Centre

I joined the staff of the Mathematics Learning Centre in 1989, and was appointed to head the Centre in 1991. I teach students enrolled in a wide range of units of study in mathematics and statistics, but I specialise in teaching calculus to students who have not studied calculus before, business and economic statistics and biostatistics.

My research investigates how mathematics and statistics is learned at university level.

Selected Publications and Scholarly Work

(The most recent listed first in each category)

Refereed publications

  • Gordon, S. & Nicholas, J. (2009). Using examples to promote statistical literacy. In A. Hugman (Ed.), Uniserve Science - Motivating Science Undergraduates: Ideas and interventions (pp. 58–64). The University of Sydney, 1-2 October.
  • Gordon, S. & Nicholas, J. (2008). Why do statistics educators use examples to teach statistics? In MacGillivray, H. (Ed.), Proceedings of the 6th Australian Conference on Teaching Statistics (OZCOTS, 2008) (pp 97-103), Melbourne: OZCOTS. Available online: http://sky.scitech.qut.edu.au/~macgilli/ozcots2008/papers/OZCOTS_GordonNicholas.pdf
  • Gordon, S. & Nicholas, J. (2005). Three case studies on the role of memorising in learning and teaching mathematics. In Chick, H. L. & Vincent, J. L. (Eds.) Proceedings of the 29th Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, Vol. 3, pp 57-64. Melbourne: PME.
  • Cooper, I., Frommer, M., Gordon, S. & Nicholas, J. (2002). University teachers’ conceptions of memorising in learning science. Higher Education Research & Development, 21 (3), 305-321.
  • Cooper, I., Frommer, M., Gordon S. & Nicholas, J. (2001). University teachers’ perceptions of the role of memorising in learning science. In Schuck, S. & Segal, G. (Eds.) Proceedings of the Change in Education Research Group (CERG) Conference: Is Education Y2K Compliant? Sydney: University of Technology, Sydney.
  • Crawford, K., Gordon, S., Nicholas, J. & Prosser, M. (1998). University mathematics students’ conceptions of mathematics. Studies in Higher Education, 23(1), 87-94.
  • Crawford, K., Gordon, S., Nicholas, J. & Prosser, M. (1998). Qualitatively different experiences of learning mathematics at university. Learning and Instruction, 8(5), 455-468.
  • Gordon, S., Nicholas, J. & Crawford, K. (1996). Psychology students’ conceptions of a statistics course. In L. Puig & A. Gutiérrez (Eds.), Proceedings of the 20th Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, (Vol. 3, pp. 11-18). Valencia: Universitat de Valencia.
  • Crawford, K., Gordon, S., Nicholas, J. & Prosser, M. (1995). Patterns of meaning of students’ mathematical experiences at university. In B. Atweh & S. Flavel (Eds.), Proceedings of the Eighteenth Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, (pp. 203-209). Darwin: Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia.
  • Crawford, K., Gordon, S., Nicholas, J. & Prosser, M. (1994). Conceptions of mathematics and how it is learned: The perspectives of students entering university, Learning and Instruction, 4, 331-345.
  • Crawford, K., Gordon, S., Nicholas, J. & Prosser, M. (1994). Students’ reports of their learning about functions. In J. da Pont & J. Matos (Eds.), Proceedings of the Eighteenth Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, (Vol. 2, pp. 233-239). Lisbon: University of Lisbon.
  • Crawford, K., Gordon, S., Nicholas, J. & Prosser, M. (1993). Learning mathematics at university level: Initial conceptions of mathematics. In B. Atweh, C. Kanes, M. Carss, & G. Booker (Eds.), Proceedings of the Sixteenth Annual Conference of the Mathematical Education Research Group of Australasia, (pp. 209-214). Brisbane: Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia.
  • Nicholas, S. & Nicholas, J. (1992). Male literacy, “deskilling,” and the industrial revolution. Journal of Interdisciplinary History, 13 (1), 1-18.

Other Conference Presentations

  • Nicholas J (2007). The Mathematics Learning Centre at the University of Sydney: Issues, successes and failures. Paper presented at the Carrick Symposium on Learning Support in Mathematics and Statistics, Brisbane, Australia, July 2007.
  • Gordon, S. & Nicholas, J. (2002). Phenomenography and Activity Theory: Do they fit? Paper presented at the tenth annual symposium: Contemporary Approaches to Research in Mathematics, Science, Health and Environmental Education, Deakin University, Victoria, December 2002.
  • Cooper, I., Frommer, M., Gordon, S. & Nicholas, J. (2001). Memorising and Understanding in Learning –An Interdisciplinary Study. Short presentation at the Twenty Third Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, University of Sydney, NSW, July 2001.
  • Nicholas, J. (1999). “Do you always do it like that?” Paper presented at the Mathematics Learning Centres Special Session, 43rd Annual Conference of the Australian Mathematical Society (Joint Meeting with the American Mathematical Society), University of Melbourne, Victoria, July 1999.
  • Nicholas J. (1999). Mature aged students seeking university entry through a mathematics preparation course. Paper presented at the Mathematics Education Special Session, 43rd Annual Conference of the Australian Mathematical Society (Joint Meeting with the American Mathematical Society), University of Melbourne, Victoria, July 1999.