MATH LAB: A SELF-GUIDED APPROACH TO TEACHING DEVELOPMENTAL MATH
Presenters: Beth Kilmer and Kari MuellerNortheastern Junior College
Where We’ve Been Fall 2008
119 students enrolled in MAT030/060 combo
55 passed MAT030 (46%)
32 passed MAT030/060 combo
27% pass rate for MAT030/060 combo
Roadblocks to Success
Roadblock #1 – Unable to maintain a Pace that satisfied the needs of all students
Roadblock # 2 - 4 Instructors + 2 Textbooks Inconsistency
Roadblock #3 - Student Apathy
The Search for Something New Visited several sister colleges searching for
best practices Self-paced math lab setting offered by
Trinidad State Junior College addressed each roadblock
Students were allowed to work at own Pace Requirements and materials were Consistent
across all sections regardless of instructor Student “Buy-In” to self-paced concept was high
The Final Destination – Math Lab! How It Looks
MAT030/060 combo; 8 weeks per class Class meets 3 days per week for 1 hour
45 minutes Class size increased from 15 to 30
students Two instructors assigned to team teach
each section One learning assistant (student tutor)
provided by Comprehensive Learning Center (CLC)
Keys to Success
How It Works Required materials include a customized
textbook and a homework packet designed by NJC Math Lab instructors
Students are provided with a Course Schedule to help them pace themselves to complete the course in the allotted 8 week format
Class time is devoted to self and/or small group study, one-on-one instruction and assessment
Students who don’t complete the course in A-term are allowed to continue working
Keys to Success
How It Works - Homework Homework includes short answer study questions
designed to: Encourage students to read front matter Promote note taking Enhance study skills
Homework is checked by instructors to monitor progress and identify students needing extra help
Students maintain a homework notebook that is collected for grading during the final
Keys to SuccessHow It Works – Assessment Quizzes
“One Shot Deal” Designed to highlight areas where students
need more work prior to taking the exam Exams
Students are allowed 3 opportunities to earn a 75% or better on each chapter exam Helps to reduce test anxiety Requires student to prove mastery of material
before moving on Cumulative final exam – limited to two
opportunities
Keys to Success
How It Works – Attendance Students are required to sign an attendance
contract Excused vs. Unexcused/Tardy Repercussions Rewards
Attendance records maintained in D2L
Detours
Stuff That Didn’t Work Original textbook
Difficult to read Not user friendly Overly complicated practice problems
Homework on the “honor system” Excessive testing opportunities Grading based on tests only An attendance policy that was too lenient Incomplete grades
Potential Hazards
Math Lab is not for every teacher Labor intensive set-up Teamwork – consistency is the key!
Final Destination – Success!
Semester/Year
# enrolled in M030
# passed M030 A-
term %
Took all semester to pass M030
Total pass rate for
semester
# passed both
M030 & M060 %
Fall 2010 114 74 65% 8 72% 56 49%Spring 2010 51 30 59% 9 76% 22 43%
Fall 2009 91 51 56% 16 74% 23 25%Spring 2009 45 17 38% 1 40% 6 13%
Fall 2008 119 55 46% 0 46% 32 27%Spring 2008 34 14 41% 0 41% 8 24%
Semester/Year
MAT030 Enrollme
nt
Passed MAT030 A-term
MAT030A-term Success
Rate
Passed MAT030
by Semester End
MAT030 Overall Success
Rate
Passed MAT030
& MAT060
by Semester End
Overall Success Rate
for MAT030/060
Combo
FA 2010 114 74 65% 8 72% 56 49%
SP 2010 51 30 59% 9 76% 22 43%
FA 2009 91 51 56% 16 74% 23 25%
SP 2009 45 17 38% 1 40% 6 13%
FA 2008 119 55 46% 0 46% 32 27%
SP 2008 34 14 41% 0 41% 8 24%
QUESTIONS?