Student Success and Retention through
Transformation of Lower Division STEM
Critical Courses
The FIU Mastery Model of Instruction
Suzanna Rose & Leanne Wells
Need
College Algebra
• Commonly, first math course for FTIC
students
• ~1800 students enrolled each Fall
• 65 -70% DFW rates each semester, with 1/3
of those not returning
• 30 or more sections mostly taught by
adjuncts
• Serious roadblock for STEM majors and
sinkhole for university dollars
Mastery Math Program
High-Tech Components
• Computer-assisted
learning
• State-of-the-art lab
with 204 computers
• Mandatory lab hours
• iClickers
• Social media
• Real-time gradebooks
Mastery Math Lab
High-Touch Components
• Faculty teams, weekly
meetings
• Personal contact with
faculty
• Fully staffed lab with 40
hours of faculty presence
• 35 Learning Assistants
(LAs) provide 200 hours of
staffing
• LAs hold 46 sections of
Math Gym weekly
Mastery Math Program: Results
• Increased College Algebra pass rates
Academic Year
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13 2013-14
2014-15
Pass Rate
33%
46%
54%
60%
64%
• Performance on beginning of the semester pretest in
subsequent classes surpasses students from other
pipelines.
Mastery Math Program: Results
• Fall 2015, 81% of College Algebra students attended all
14 Math Gym sessions.
• Over 7,000 FIU students visited the lab ~240,000 times
for ~370,000 hrs of time on math tasks.
• Development of online courses using Mastery Math
practices
– Online College Algebra and Finite Math course now has pass rates
in line with face-to-face course up from as low as 10%
– Creation of new standards for online courses
– Changing expectation of what it means to teach online courses
Mastery Math Lab Results
High student satisfaction
Sample survey questions/responses:
How satisfied are you with the lecture part of the course?
– Fall 2012: 44% positive response
– Fall 2014: 80% positive response
“Mandatory lab hours are what motivate me to keep
up with the homework and the homework is what
helps me learn the material the best!”
“I like the ability to ask LAs for help one on one
because I can’t really ask my teacher for help in
class because she’s always in a hurry.”
Critical Courses
Defining and Identifying
• Lower Division course with
1) High enrollment: ≥ 1,600;
2) High failure rates: ≥ 13% DFW; and/or
3) High impact: a dropout predictor.
• Resulting in 17 courses that are critical to student
retention and progress toward graduation
• 8 of the 17 are science and math courses
including Finite Math, PreCalc Algebra, Chemistry,
Biology
STEM Mastery Expansion 2014-2015
Implementation 2014-15
•
•
•
•
Finite Math
Social Choice Math
PreCalculus Algebra
Trigonometry
• General Chemistry I & II
• Carry-over into Analytic
Chemistry
2015-16
• Introductory Physics with Calculus
STEM Mastery Expansion 2014-2015
Guiding Principles
• To harness appropriate technology to maximize the
amount of time faculty interact with students and
maintain an ongoing, inclusive dialogue between faculty
and student.
• To cultivate a high-touch environment where students
and faculty are agents of their own success and
communication is clear, engaging, respectful and
personal.
STEM Mastery Expansion 2014-2015
Overarching Features
• Instructional teams for each course
• Active Learning/Inverted Classroom
• Learning Assistants in the classroom and in help
sessions.
• High touch
• High tech
• Course alignment and consistency
STEM Mastery Expansion 2014-2015
Course Redesign
Courses transformed using the Mastery Model of Instruction are
purposefully designed to foster student engagement and to
encourage persistence.
Mastery course are to:
• provide opportunities for active learning embedded in the
classroom setting using Learning Assistants as facilitators
• provide formative feedback during class and with weekly
assessments
• create a modularized, consistent, and logical curricular
structure
• present relevance of the material and the course
STEM Mastery Expansion 2014-2015
Instructional Redesign
The role of faculty is critical in the success of students. Mastery
Model instruction must include:
• a consistent core of full-time faculty engaged in creating
positive learning environments
• faculty engagement in weekly course-specific working
meetings to plan instruction and assessment.
• development of faculty awareness of student needs
• faculty commitment to and ownership of course and student
success
• purposeful use of well-trained, pro-student Learning
Assistants.
STEM Mastery Expansion 2014-2015
Online Offerings –
Online Mastery Model requires similar course and instructional
redesign components are used including High Touch elements.
Online success for College Algebra required:
– modularization of coursework with weekly formative
assessments
– faculty presence and engagement
– assignments designed to actively engage students with
each other, Learning Assistants, and faculty
STEM Mastery Expansion 2014-2015
Online Offerings –
An essential component to the online course redesign is the
Mastery Math Virtual Lab (MMVL). This virtual environment
allows off-campus students to make connections to other
students and the faculty (High Touch) using Adobe Connect.
The MMVL is used to:
• provide on-demand Learning Assistant help
• create impromptu discussion pods and breakout rooms for
group work
• schedule required virtual group problem solving sessions
• present interactive learning tools to students and assign tasks
using those tools
STEM Mastery Expansion 2014-2015
Initial Results
Passing Rate Comparison for Critical Math Courses
68.3
59.3
59.4
59
51
46.3
47
43.8
44
37
40.5
SOCIAL CHOICE MATH
Fall 2013
Spring 2014
37
35
33.5
30.9
FINITE MATH
44.3
TRIGONOMETRY
Fall 2014
Spring 2015
Note: Solid blue line indicates start of Mastery Model
adoption in Fall 2014. Full adoption Finite Math and
Social Choice Math. Partial adoption Trigonometry and
Precalculus Algebra.
PRECALCULUS ALGEBRA
STEM Mastery Expansion 2014-2015
Initial Results
• Changes in course structures
– Collaboration on tests and department final
– Consistent testing across sections
– Increased in-class group work
– No more grade norming, beginning to think about
criterion based assessment
• Changes in course content
– Questions that ask students to predict, argue, explain
– New more accessible textbooks
– Vertical and interdisciplinary alignment
STEM Mastery Expansion 2014-2015
Initial Results
• Faculty Engagement
– Ownership of the course and its materials, continuous
improvement
– Reflective practice in end of semester/year report
– Communicating with each other
– Communicating with students
– Awareness and desire for data
• University Commitment
– 2015-2020 Strategic Plan
– Faculty and Instructor Hires (14 in math for Fall 2015)
– Administrator time and effort
– STEM faculty developer
Next Steps
• Full participation of faculty
• Work with FIU LA Program to integrate LAs into course
• Work with STEM Transformation Institute to develop
evaluation plans
• Continue faculty meetings with coordinators taking a stronger
role
• Expand Online Mastery Model to development of hybrid
sections
• Move into active learning classrooms, motivates adoption of
student-centered practices
• Mastery Math Lab 2
Mastery Math
Thank you
Suzanna Rose: srose@fiu.edu
Leanne Wells: lwells@fiu.edu
Precalculus Pretest – Internal
SMTI Conference
New Orleans, June 2015
Student Success and Retention through Transformation of Lower Division STEM Critical Courses
The FIU Mastery Model of Instruction
Suzanna Rose & Leanne Wells
A. Background
The FIU high-tech, high-touch Mastery Model was first implemented in 2011 as part of FIU’s effort
to improve student success in College Algebra. The pilot studies led by Rose quickly determined that
it was effective at improving students’ pass rate and the expansion of the program was incorporated
into a Title V grant to improve student retention and success in Algebra and Intermediate Algebra.
The model is structured so that students spend time working on math with expert help available at
hand. The program, tested and led by Rose and Wells, encourages students to have frequent personal
communication with their faculty and undergraduate Learning Assistants. Over the past four years,
the model has resulted in a 30% increase in passing rates in Algebra along with a steady decrease in
drop rates. Recent introduction of key elements of the Mastery Model to other lower division STEM
courses has resulted in increased pass rates (e.g. Precalculus Algebra up 14% in one semester) and
decreased drop rates (e.g one section of Introductory Chemistry halved its drop rate). Additionally,
transforming online College Algebra using the Mastery Math principles and components resulted in
average pass rate of 59% (Fall 2013 – Spring 2015), up from an historic average pass rate of ~10%.
B. Guiding Principles


To harness appropriate technology to maximize the amount of time faculty interact with students
and maintain an ongoing, inclusive dialogue between faculty and student.
To cultivate a high-touch environment where students and faculty are agents of their own success
and communication is clear, engaging, respectful and personal.
C. Components of the Mastery Model
1. Course Redesign – Courses transformed using the Mastery Model of Instruction are purposefully
designed to foster student engagement and to encourage persistence. Some key characteristics of
Mastery courses are to:
 provide opportunities for active learning embedded in the classroom setting1
 provide formative feedback during class and with weekly assessments
 create a modularized, consistent, and logical curricular structure2
 present relevance of the material and the course
2. Instructional Redesign – While the course transformation is essential, the role of faculty is critical
in the success of students. It is essential that faculty develop ownership of the course that they
transform and of the success of their students. The Mastery Model requires that the faculty
teaching Mastery classes work together in course transformation teams to produce collaborative
high tech, high touch instruction. As part of instructional redesign, Mastery Model instruction
must include:
 a consistent core of full-time instructors, tenure-track faculty, or dedicated adjuncts, engaged
in creating positive learning environments
 development of faculty awareness of student needs
 faculty commitment to and ownership of course and student success
 purposeful use of well-trained, pro-student Learning Assistants (LAs)
1 Freeman, S., S.L. Eddy, M. McDonough, M.K. Smith, N. Okoroafor, H. Jordt, and M.P. Wenderoth. (2014), “Active Learning
Increases Student Performance in Science, Engineering, and Mathematics,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
111(23):8410-15.
2 Eddy, S. L., & Hogan, K. A. (2014). “Getting under the hood: How and For Whom Does Increasing Course Structure Work?”
CBE Life Sciences Education, 13, 453-468. doi:10.1187/cbe.14-03-005.

faculty engagement in weekly course-specific working meetings to plan instruction and
assessment.
3. Learning Assistants (LAs). The Mastery Model has incorporated the use of LAs into its
instructional practices across the STEM disciplines. FIU’s undergraduate Learning Assistant
program is an experiential teaching program that is based on the University of Colorado LA
program. Faculty at FIU that have used LAs in the manner described below have experienced
greater student success in lower division Math courses; in common exams (in an inverted
Chemistry course) as well as increases in student participation (in a Calculus course that revolves
around solving challenging problems in class).
FIU LAs are:
 undergraduates who like math/science and have done well in the course they are LAing.
 are trained in best instructional practices for teaching the course (1 credit course) and
participate in weekly planning with their assigned faculty.
 best at facilitating problem solving, mathematical and scientific thinking, and addressing
common mistakes.
 a vital element of the high touch Mastery Model because of FIU’s largely Hispanic student
population. Research indicates that Latinos prefer asking friends or family, instead of faculty,
for advice. In this role, LAs learn to see themselves not only as essential to the learning of
content and an irreplaceable feedback tool for course transformation, but also to students’
college survival skills.
 paid to work 8-12 hours weekly, thereby providing them with relevant employment
experience that enhances their post-graduate job prospects
4. Online Offerings – As universities increase the number of courses taught online, they need to
ensure that students succeed in those courses. As with the face-to-face College Algebra,
restructuring the online math courses using the Mastery Model requires similar course and
instructional redesign components are used including High Touch elements. Online success for
College Algebra required:
 modularization of coursework with weekly formative assessments
 faculty presence and engagement
 assignments designed to actively engage students with each other, Learning Assistants, and
faculty
An essential component to the online course redesign is the Mastery Math Virtual Lab (MMVL).
This virtual environment allows off-campus students to make connections to other students and
the faculty using Adobe Connect. The MMVL is used to:
 provide on-demand Learning Assistant help
 create impromptu discussion pods and breakout rooms for group work
 schedule required virtual group problem solving sessions
 present interactive learning tools to students and assign tasks using those tools
D. Team Selection and Structure.
 The Mastery Program Director, department chairs, and course coordinators identify the
instructors on the course transformation teams.
 Each team includes the course coordinator.
 Faculty on the team commit to teaching the course and working on the team for at least 2 years.
 Faculty team members receive a small stipend in the summer for participating in course redesign
workshops.
 By Fall 2016, 40 sections of lower division critical STEM courses across instructional platforms
will be taught using the Mastery Model of Instructional.