sigma Maths and Stats Support

sigma Maths and Stats Support

Coventry was one of the very first universities to offer its students mathematics and statistics support. Its purpose is to supplement the mathematics and statistics teaching in students’ courses and to make good any gaps in their background knowledge. Look at our website for fully comprehensive information.

Here are some of the things the sigma team offers you as a student at Coventry University:

  • Free access for students across all undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes as well as all research students needing help with mathematics or statistics;
  • Large Maths and Stats Support Centre in the Library open for over 35 hours across 6 days a week during semester and reduced hours otherwise;
  • One-to-one online support available for 25 hours per week for those who prefer this;
  • Drop-in sessions with no bookings required, just walk in to the Maths and Stats Support Centre or visit the sigma website and we will help;
  • One-to-one pre-booked appointments (online or in person) for mathematics if you require more extensive support;
  • Friendly tutors who are skilled teachers with expertise in most areas where mathematics and statistics are used;
  • Learning resources to take away and core textbooks for reference, covering a wide range of topics in mathematics and statistics;
  • Online workshops to revise and consolidate pre-university mathematical topics;
  • Numerical Reasoning workshops;
  • Statistics Advisory Service for students using statistics in their studies or research – more details below.

If you would like more information please contact us: sigma_staff@live.coventry.ac.uk

Statistics Advisory Service

An important part of sigma’s provision is its Statistics Advisory Service which offers:

  • Statistics support available to ALL students, offered during some of the drop-in sessions in the Maths and Stats Support Centre (check the timetable for details);
  • One-to-one pre-booked appointments online or in person) aimed at students undertaking a final year project or a master’s dissertation as well as research students and academic staff;
  • Statistics workshops for research students (and academic staff) covering a wide range of common statistical techniques and the use of statistical software (including SPSS);
  • Help with developing online surveys and statistical software such as SPSS, as well as advice on study design, choosing statistical methods and undertaking your analyses.

History of the sigma Maths and Stats Support Centre at Coventry

sigma began in the Engineering Faculty in the early 1990s with funding from BP. The provision slowly grew, and in 2005, in partnership with Loughborough University, Coventry won significant funding and national prestige as a Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) for mathematics and statistics support. Its chosen CETL name was sigma and its brief was to maintain its own excellence, form a nationwide network and disseminate the ideas and techniques of mathematics and statistics support to other Universities.

The Government’s CETL funding was for 5 years only, and when it came to an end in 2010, sigma’s continued success was underwritten by Coventry University as one of its prime support services. In 2011 sigma won a prestigious Times Higher award for outstanding student support, jointly with Loughborough University.

Sigma network for excellence in mathematics and statistics support

 Queen’s Award for Enterprise Logo
University of the year shortlisted
QS Five Star Rating 2023