MA112 Proposal for a Modular Course with an Additional Lab Hour
Our course redesign proposal was approved for a pilot study for up to two sections in
the Fall 2010.
A. Main Differences Between Traditional MA112 and Redesigned MA112
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WEEKLY LAB
In addition to the three instructor lecture hours, the course also includes 1 hour per
week in a computer lab where students will have problem sessions and take module
quizzes.
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MODULES
The course will be broken up into 7 sequential modules, each requiring
approximately two weeks of lecture. Students will take a proctored online quiz for
each module that they will be required to pass sequentially in order to pass the
course. They will get three chances to pass each module quiz. Another idea
associated with a modular course is that resources will be collected and available for
each module – for example, mini-movies of course material.
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LAB FEE
The lab will result in a student lab fee of $20-$40 per student, depending on the lab
size. The lab and lab fee has not been approved by the president; in the pilot study
the lab will be free.
B. Implementation Details (Pilot Study)
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MyMathlab
MyMathlab will be used to generate module quizzes. Students can buy MyMathlab
with a MyMathlab-equipped ‘softbook’ for about $110. There is also the option of
buying the book online with MyMathlab access for $70. MyMathlab will allow
instructors to design module quizzes by choosing questions from a testbank or writing
their own question. One the module quiz has been specified, MyMathlab will be used to
help students prepare for module quizzes with online problem sets and self-guided
tutorials.
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Staffing for Lab Section
The lab will be proctored by a graduate student. Robbie is a graduate student in our
department that has been working on making test banks of exam questions and making
videos.
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Grades
Student grades will depend upon passing module exams, attendance, quiz grades, and
scores on a written midterm and final.
C. Assessment Plan
D. Rationale For This Innovation and Anticipated Future Directions
A large fraction of students drop out of or fail MA 112. Common obstacles in the course
are a weak background in mathematics, low engagement in the course and being overcommitted. The proposed redesign of the course into modules aims to increase
engagement and accommodate varying backgrounds.
increased engagement: students know in advance that they have to pass the module
quizzes in advance, so they will have to practice each quiz so that they pass. Many
students fail the first and second exams and do not drop the course because they expect to
do better or because they must maintain full-time student status. Module exams would
force students to work on learning MA112 material earlier.
accommodate varying backgrounds: A variety of backgrounds are addressed by the
availability of self-paced tutorials on remedial topics, multi-media materials to reach
different learner types and automated identification of and contact with poorly
performing students. With required attendance 4 times per week, and frequent assessment
of learning, this course provides a lot of structure for the passive or distracted student.
The course engages students through active learning (students have the opportunity to
work through problems and tutorials online) and goal-oriented learning (student must
excel in independent modules). Instead of expecting that they will ‘do better on the
Final’, students must take responsibility for their learning early in the semester.
established a role for graduate student teaching: Graduate student teaching is a
potentially rewarding experience for the graduate students (e.g., more so than grading or
tutoring), providing useful teaching experience. Further, graduate students depend upon a
reliable and constant source of funding that MA112 lab sessions could help provide.
possibilities for increases in efficiency:
- one of the three weekly regular lecture sessions could be allocated to graduate
students as well. Logistically, students would sign up for two hours with an instructor
and also sign up for two hours of graduate-student-led recitation to review homework
problems and take module exams. With respect to efficiency, the course would only
require 2 hours of weekly instructor time, and some of the more time-consuming
components of proctoring quizzes and covering routine homework questions would
be reassigned. These benefits would be gained even if the recitations were not led by
graduate students but by an emporium-style technician.
- Two hours of small-group interaction in recitations could be supported while
allowing the conventional lecture sizes to increase to 75—150 students.