Middlesex Community College
Developmental Math Redesign
Preparation For College Math, RAMP-Up
Previous Courses
Current Course
MAT 001/002/003
Preparation for College Math
Note:
Students who test into MAT 080
take MAT 080, Algebra 2 in a
traditional lecture class.
• Mod 1 – Whole Numbers
• Mod 2 – Fractions
• Mod 3 – Decimals
• Mod 4 – Signed Numbers
• Mod 5 – Algebraic Expressions
• Mod 6 – Linear Equations &
Inequalities
• Mod 7 – Ratio, Proportion & Percent
• Mod 8 – Graphing
• Mod 9 – Systems of Linear Equations
• Mod 10 – Exponents & Polynomials
• Mod 11 – Factoring Polynomials
• Mod 12 – Radicals & Quadratic
Equations
Placement
Students who previously placed into…
Fundamentals
Of Math
• Now start in
Module 1,
Whole
Numbers
Algebra 1
• Initially, started
in Module 1
• Now start in
Module 5,
Algebraic
Expressions
Algebra 2
• Take a
traditional
lecture class
Preparation for College Math
MCC RAMP-Up Math Program
• Student must complete at
least 4 modules in order to
pass the class
– Mastery is required to pass
each module (75%)
• Students can accelerate
their progress by completing
more than 4 modules
Complete at Least
4
Modules
to Pass
Requires at Least
75%
for Mastery
Working through the Modules
Optional PRETEST
75% or better and
the student passes
the module.
Module Workbook
&
Homework Assignments
<75% and the
student does a
required assignment
based on their errors
before retesting.
Review Quiz
Module Test
75% or better and
the student passes
the module.
Use of Khan Academy in Pilot Sections
• Identified two topics that are typically challenging for
students in each Module.
• Selected a Khan Academy video for each topic.
• Each video replaces a page in the Module Workbook.
Watching the video is not additional work for the student.
• Students are asked to write out the problem(s) that are
worked out in each video.
• Students answer a short survey after each video.
• Students hand in completed work for each video.
• At semester end, Instructors tally number of videos
watched and time spent watching videos for each
participating student.
Khan Academy Pilot Sections
• Fall and Spring Semesters:
•
•
•
•
2 Day sections on the Lowell Campus
1 Day section on the Bedford Campus
1 Evening section on the Bedford Campus
1 Saturday section on the Bedford Campus
• Summer semester:
• 1 Day section on the Bedford Campus
• 1 Evening section on the Bedford Campus
MCC RAMP-Up Math Classroom
• 6 hexagonal pods with 6 computers per pod
• Faculty instructor and tutor embedded in each
section
• 3 hours of class & 1 hour of lab per week
– Attendance is mandatory
• 30 students per section
– Also room for other students who want to make
up missed classes or put in additional time
Benefits for Students
• Opportunity to complete the developmental
sequence more quickly.
• More opportunity for one-on-one help.
• More active learning by students. Students do
lots of problems in the course.
• Flexibility. Students can recover from setbacks more easily.
• Students start where they left off the previous
semester.
Completion-Fall 2013
• Succeeded means the student finished the modules equivalent to the course
they would have been placed into in the previous developmental sequence.
• Exceeded means the student finished modules beyond those equivalent to
the course they would have been placed into in the previous developmental
sequence.
Succeeders and Exceeders: Fall 2013
Test Score
Fundamentals of
Mathematics; MAT 060 or
MAT 065, Modules 1-4
RU04-999 Algebra I;
Modules 5-8
MAT 070 or 075
RU04-999 Algebra II;
MAT 080; Modules 9-12
Overall
Pl a cement
succeeded
exceeded
Overall
n
n
%
n
%
%
813
393
48%
185
23%
71%
290
136
47%
53
18%
65%
21
1124
7
33%
48%
536
not app not app
238
21%
33%
69%
Completion
Traditional Classroom vs. RAMP-Up
•
Test Score/
Course Title
Devel MAT Fall 2010
N Placed
Fundamentals of
Mathematics; MAT 060 or
MAT 065' Modules 1-4
RU04-999 Algebra I;
Modules 5-8
MAT 070 or 075
RU04-999 Algebra II;
MAT 080; Modules 9-12
Total
N Placed
Succeeded
N
RAMP UP Fall 2011
%
Succeeded
N
RAMP UP Fall 2012
N Placed
%
Succeeded
N
RAMP UP Fall 2013
N Placed
%
Succeeded
N
%
724
381
53%
726
491
68%
811
562
69%
813
578
71%
499
248
50%
481
120
25%
321
193
60%
290
189
65%
521
1744
311
940
60%
54%
42
1249
6
617
14%
49%
18
1150
3
758
17%
66%
21
1124
7
774
33%
69%
Persistence
Cohort
Fall 2010
Fall 2011
Fall 2012
Fall 2013
1300
1237
1150
1124
Persistence at College Persistence in Math
N
%
N
%
907
70%
674
52%
894
72%
748
60%
863
75%
718
62%
834
74%
669
60%
Contact Information
Bert Engvall
Middlesex Community College
33 Kearney Square
Lowell, MA 01854
• engvallb@middlesex.mass.edu
• (978)656-3355
Outcomes Based on Placement
D
Dev Math Fall 2010
Course
N
Placement Placed
RAMP-Up Fall 2011
N
Succeeded* Placed
N
%
RAMP-Up Fall 2012
N
Succeeded* Placed Succeeded*
N
%
N
%
Fundamentals
724
381
53%
726
491
68%
811
562
69%
Algebra 1
499
248
50%
481
120
25%
321
193
60%
Algebra 2
521
311
60%
42
6
14%
18
3
17%
Total
1744
940
54%
1249
617
49%
1150
758
66%
* In this context, succeeded means the student finished
the modules equivalent to the course they would have
been placed in the previous developmental sequence.
Succeeders & Exceeders
Fall 2012
Course
N
Placement Placement
Succeeded
Exceeded
(Passed 4 to 7
modules)
(Passed at least 8
modules)
N
%
N
%
Overall
%
Fundamentals
811
357
44%
205
25%
69%
Algebra 1
321
147
46%
46
14%
60%
Algebra 2
18
3
17%
----
---
17%
1150
507
44%
251
22%
66%
Total
Student Quotes
From Spring 2012 Survey
• I really like the self-paced idea of this class! Traditional math classes
can be so boring but This was great being able to work on my own.
• Very well organized course. I learned a lot from it, and I feel like the
material was a lot easier to learn in this course rather than in a
classroom setting. I was in this class for two semesters, and both
professors were very helpful and pleasant to work with.
• I would rather a teacher actually teach this class than sit in front of
a computer. I think not just myself but others would learn more
and faster if it were taught in a classroom environment and there
was classroom participation.