Addressing the Needs of
Diverse Groups Using
Modified Learning Objects
Rebecca LeDocq, Jennifer Kosiak &
Bob Hoar, UW-La Crosse,
Hal Schlais, IIURL
Sherrie Serros, UW-Eau Claire
Engaging all
students in science,
technology,
engineering, and
mathematics is a
priority goal for U.S.
higher education.
National Mathematics Advisory Panel Report, 2008
http://www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/mathpanel/index.html
PRAXIS Learning Objects
for Math and Science
PRAXIS Learning Objects
• Statement of the Question with possible
Answers and mistake-specific feedback
• Hint to help them remember a key detail
• Sandbox, a place to “play and learn”
• Tutorial, a careful presentation of the
solution (shockwave movie)
• Chalk-Talk to hear and see a solution
• Additional Self-Check Questions to
Assess Understanding
PRAXIS Focus
• Wisconsin’s PI-34 requires the PRAXIS II
Middle School Content Knowledge (MSCK)
for licensure.
• A national passing rate of 80% exists.
• Pass Rate Gap:
– 92% for Whites
– 50% for African Americans
– 46% for Hispanics
(Gitomer et al, 1999)
Equity
• Excellence in mathematics education
requires equity—high expectations and
strong support for all students.
(NCTM, 2000)
Why Equity? Why Now?
• A major societal implication of this disparity is
the lack of a diverse STEM workforce,
including highly qualified teachers.
• The growth of jobs in the mathematicsintensive science and engineering workforce is
outpacing overall job growth by 3:1.
Why Equity? Why Now?
• Nearly one in four high school graduates do not possess the
necessary prerequisite skills for success in college-level
mathematics courses.
(NCES, 2001)
• A review of enrollment data for the 13 UW Colleges from
the 2006-2007 academic year revealed that a total of 143
sections of remedial mathematics courses (including 110
sections of Elementary Algebra) were offered.
• The percentage of students of color (receiving an A, B, or C in
these courses ranges from 36 to 50%,compared to 73% for
their peers.
(UW-L Equity Score Card)
Race/Ethnicity
African American
% Freshman
Class
(n = 28,405)
3.1%
% Needing
Math
Remediation
40.0%
American Indian
Southeast Asian
(e.g. Hmong)
0.6%
1.8%
18.0%
28.9%
Other Asian
Hispanic/Latino
White
2.0%
2.4%
90.1%
12.6%
17.5%
6.1%
*In Wisconsin, 33% of the K-12 student population is non-white.
(WINSS,2008)
Culturally Responsive LOs
Culturally responsive practices as using
the learning styles, cultural
background, and prior experiences of
students to make learning more
effective.
Culturally Responsive LOs
In mathematics education, there
are three common culturally
responsive interventions:
1. Scaffolding;
2. Logic; and
3. Language
Scaffolding
Scaffolding
• Scaffolding mechanisms are critical elements
that build upon the prior experiences and help
students remember, acquire, and solidify their
understanding of math knowledge.
• The animated Tutorial can be divided into
smaller learning steps or learners can engage
in interactive exercises with a Hint.
• Scaffolding mechanisms have been show to
have a positive impact on closing achievement
gaps.
(NRC, 2001)
Logic and Problem Solving
Logic and Problem Solving
• Logic is connected to learning styles
as it refers to the specific problem
solving approaches used by learners.
• Each LO embed multiple solution
strategies in the Sandbox, Tutorial,
and ChalkTalks.
Language
Language
• Research indicates that when students are
allowed to use their first language during the
learning process, both academic achievement
and English-language development are
enhanced.
(Jarrett, 1999)
• One modification to the LOs will be to
enhance the ChalkTalks and Tutorials with
another language.
LO Development Model
• Distribute the work to faculty led teams around
the State of Wisconsin
• Faculty assemble UG research teams
• The faculty leader determines model/processes
to fit their situation
• Content teams create a small number of LO
“Storyboards” using the Local Content Server
• Results are sent to student programmers
The Local Content Server allows educators to
create, modify, and share learning objects.
– Organizing LOs in one place;
– Collaboratively develop LOs with
colleagues;
– Share LOs with others;
– Register LOs so everyone can find them.
Institute for Innovations in
Undergraduate Research and Learning
Mission: To develop, foster and support
innovations that use digital technology to enhance
undergraduate teaching, learning and research, and
to make very simple the storage, retrieval and
sharing of digital content for teaching.