Rethinking Entry-Level Mathematics 2011 Academic Affairs Summer Meeting Martha Venn, Vice President...

Rethinking Entry-Level Mathematics2011 Academic Affairs Summer Meeting

Martha Venn, Vice President of Academic AffairsBarry Monk, Chair of Mathematics

The Big Picture

• Leadership

• University System of Georgia/Board of Regents

• It is the right thing to do!

Strategic Conversations

• Campus

• Enrollment Trends

• Student Profiles

• Root Causes (USG)

Who are we?

Macon State College Institutional Profile

– Four-Year State College– 18 Bachelor’s

Degrees, 31 Majors– Associate’s Degrees,

Career Programs, and Certificates

– Location: 1 hour south of Atlanta– Two Campuses (Macon & Warner Robins)– Unique Model: Programs concentrated

toward professionally oriented disciplines– Point of Access Institution– Growth– Affordability

Enrollment

Fall 2010

Student Profile

Fall 2010

Full-time students 54.9%

Part-time students 45.1%

Men 34.4%

Women 65.6%

Average age 26.3

Class Breakdown

Freshmen 2,288

Sophomores 1,155

Juniors 1,071

Seniors 1,503

Joint enrollment students 113

Transients 43

Others 59

Roots of the Problem

1. Underprepared Students– 62% spent from 0-5 hours /week studying– 64% “never” or “sometimes” prepared two

or more drafts of a paper or assignment before turning it in

2. First generation college students– 59% indicated that their mother (guardian)

did not complete a 4 year degree– 55% indicated that their father (guardian)

did not complete a 4 year degree

2010 Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement

Roots of the Problem

3. Students register from semester to semester without a long term academic view towards graduation

– 31% did plan to graduate from Macon State College

– 35% were not sure if they would graduate from Macon State College

2010 Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement

• Performance Data

• Financial Data

• Stakeholder Input

• SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats)

Where are we now?

• Strategic Goals

• Strategic Priorities

Where do we want to go?

• Performance Objectives

• Measures and Targets

How will we know we arrived?

• Initiatives

• Action Steps

How do we plan to get there?

Entry-Level Mathematics Classes

MATH 1101: Introduction to Mathematical Modeling–Broad content coverage–Wide use of applications–“math for the masses”

MATH 1111: College Algebra–Traditional mathematics course–Students who continue into higher-level math courses

Faculty Perspective – Some Initial Concerns

– How am I supposed to teach someone who doesn’t come to class?

– I can only do so much with underprepared students.

– I’m not going to pass students just to make the numbers look better.

– I’m overworked already.

Can We Really Change Anything?

Being a mathematician, I tend to think of it this way:

Effectiveness = f (C, N)

C = Factors instructors can control

N = Factors instructors can’t control

Can We Really Change Anything?

Effectiveness = f (C, N)

Examples of factors instructors can control (C)–Instructional methods–Use of Homework/Learning Management Systems–Grading schemes–Design of assessmentsExamples of factors instructors can’t control (N)–Too extensive to list…

We can still be effective even if α is small.

= α·C + (100%– α)·N

MATH 1101: Intro to Mathematical Modeling

Pilot Project (Fall 2010 & Spring 2011)–4 Instructors–7 Sections in Fall 2010–6 Sections in Spring 2011

–Primary Areas of Concern• Attendance/Classroom Engagement• Unpreparedness of Students• Homework Completion

MATH 1101: Intro to Mathematical ModelingStrategies

Interactive Lecture–Goals

• Improve attendance• Increase student participation and

interest• Increase the chances that students will

study more outside of class

–Strategy• Move away from “Sage on the Stage” • Daily in-class worksheets• Encourage group work• Student Motivation: Count participation

as 10% of course grade


Homework Management System–Goals

• Encourage homework completion• Keep students on task

–Strategy• Online system tied to the textbook that

includes guided tutorials and automatic grading

• Student Motivation: Count participation as 20% of course grade


Cumulative Assessment–Goals

• Help students retain material• Give students a “second chance” without

“giving it all away”

–Strategy• Include on each exam all material that

has been taught up to that point. Each subsequent exam is weighted more than the previous one because it includes more material.


Preliminary ResultsSuccess Rates (A, B, or C)–The average success rate for all instructors in the semester before the pilot project was 55%–The average success rate for the sections in the pilot project (both semesters) was 73%


Preliminary ResultsAttendanceComparing sections from only those instructors involved in the project.Semester Percentage of

Students With 5 or More Absences

Fall 2009 (before) 26.36%

Fall 2010 (after) 15.64%

Spring 2010 (before) 30.86%

Spring 2011 (after) 22.46%

Student Perspective

– Spring 2011 Midterm Survey


Implications & Limitations– Preliminary results seem to indicate:

• An increase in success rates• An improvement in class attendance• Satisfaction among students about the

strategies used

– Questions:• Are the results significant?• Will the results generalize to the rest of the

faculty?

MATH 1111: College Algebra

– Goals• Increase overall success rates –

especially among unprepared students without lowering standards

• Standardize the content across sections• “Force” students to engage in their own

learning

– Strategy• Redesign the course using the Emporium

Model


The Emporium Model–Generally involves replacing lectures and replacing them with a learning resource center that features instructional software and just-in-time personalized assistance.


Considerations in Choosing the Instruction Software–Individual learning path for students–Algorithmically generated free-response problems–Extensive reporting capabilities–Cost effective

http://www.aleks.com/

MATH 1111: College AlgebraResults

Success Rates (A, B, or C)–The average success rate for all instructors in the spring 2009 was 54.57%–The average success rate for all sections in the redesign in spring 2010 was 59.39%

MATH 1111: College AlgebraResults

General Education Assessment

Spring 2010 - Redesign

Number #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #1% #2% #3% #4% #5%

22 17 20 19 6 19 77.3 90.9 86.4 27.3 86.4

19 18 19 17 8 15 94.7 100 89.5 42.1 78.9

5 5 5 4 3 5 100 100 80 60 100

25 20 25 23 14 22 80 100 92 56 88

4 2 3 4 1 3 50 75 100 25 75

75 62 72 67 32 64 82.60% 96.00% 89.30% 42.70% 85.30%

Spring 2010 - Other

Number #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #1% #2% #3% #4% #5%

30 22 24 25 27 25 73.3 80 83.3 90 83.3

17 14 16 16 12 14 82.4 94.1 94.1 70.6 82.4

30 26 25 21 23 24 86.7 83.3 70 76.7 80

77 62 65 62 62 63 80.50% 84.40% 80.50% 80.50% 81.80%

Faculty Buy-In

What motivates faculty to buy-in to the idea of redesign?–Loyalty to the profession–A reasonable argument about the reasons for redesign and inclusion in the decision-making process–Recognition from chairs, deans, etc..–Support (monetary and otherwise)–Credit for scholarship/service

Faculty Perspective – Some Initial Concerns

– How am I supposed to teach someone who doesn’t come to class?

– I can only do so much with underprepared students.

– I’m not going to pass students just to make the numbers look better.

– I’m overworked already.

Addressing Faculty Concerns?

How am I supposed to teach someone who doesn’t come to class?–The strategies employed in MATH 1101 seem to improve attendance–If the focus is on student engagement, then attendance will follow.


I can only do so much with underprepared students.–In MATH 1111, ALEKS creates an individualized learning plan for each student. Students in the same class may be at different points at any given time with the material.


I’m not going to pass students just to make the numbers look better.–The focus of the redesigns is on making the student more accountable for their own learning rather than inflating grades.


I’m overworked already.–Rewarding/recognizing faculty who participate in course redesign is an important part of the process. Support from administration is vital.–Using instructional systems offsets some of the work put into teaching.

Questions

Dr. Marti VennVice President for Academic AffairsMacon State [email protected]

Dr. Barry MonkChair, Department of MathematicsMacon State [email protected]

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