ICTCM 2012
Hope Essien,
Malcolm X College (One of the City Colleges of Chicago)
Chicago, IL 60612
International Conference on Technology in Collegiate
Mathematics Orlando Florida
March 22-25, 2012
Effect of Active Learning on the Academic
Proficiency of Community College Students Enrolled
in Developmental Mathematics Courses
Time + Energy = Learning
Chickering & Gamson (1997)
Most of us only know how to be taught, we haven’t learned how to learn. –
Malcolm Knowles
Why Active Learning in
Developmental Mathematics?
Goal: To teach students learning outcome
and to improve the academic proficiency of
Community College (African American)
students enrolled in Developmental
Mathematics courses in community colleges.
Need for Active Learning
► Intentions
as facilitators of active learning.
► Technical reflections.
► Practical reflections.
► Perceptual awareness.
► Self-awareness.
(Ed Powell, 2005) Conceptualizing and facilitating active learning
Ways to Promote Active learning
► Use
Audio Visual Materials
► Collaborative /Cooperative Method/Group
► Computer Aided Instruction
► Lab Activities/Using Demonstrations
► Discussion/Debate/Students Presentations
► Games or Simulations
► Test/Quizzes
► Writing Activities
How do we incorporate active
learning in our classroom?
► Develop
an integrated project constructed
on Mathematics, Science and Career
programs
► Introduce contextualized or real-world
teaching in and out of classroom.
► Reinforce active learning into mathematics
curriculum
► Encourage pursuit of more related
mathematics careers.
Method of Instruction and Teaching Strategies:
Active Learning or Activities-based
► Activity
Preparation
► Procedure
► Expected Student Learning Outcome
► Conclusion/ Wrap-up
► Challenges/Opportunities
► Discussion of post activities assignments
► Alternative learning methods if any
About Malcolm X College
Mathematics Courses:
► 17
Different Mathematics Courses 158
sections or 5,100 students
► 2 Algebra tracks-107 sections
► Beginning/Elementary Algebra (Math 098) &
► Intermediate Algebra with Geometry
(Math 099) 0r 3,368 students
About Malcolm X College
Mathematics Courses in one Semester
► General
Education Mathematics
(Math 118)
► Statistics (Math 125)
► College Algebra (Math 140)
► Pre-Calculus (Math 143)
► Calculus (Math 207) , (Math 208), etc
► Specialty courses to support career
programs
Projects to meet students interest
and students learning outcomes
► Proficiency
in Elementary Algebra
Math098…59.3%
► Proficiency in Intermediate Algebra
Math099…63.8%
► Proficiency in General Education Math
Math118…85.2%
► Proficiency in Pre-Calculus Math143…79.9%
Projects to meet students interest
and students learning outcomes
► Proficiency
in Statistics
Math125…90.4%
► Proficiency in Calculus 1 (one)
Math125…70%
A’s +B’s+ C’s
Proficiency= -------------------------------Records of All Students
Draw Back of Active Learning
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Preparation time for students activity
Students complains of lack of computers
Incorporation of tutorial service
Discomfort and anxiety that change creates
Limited incentives for faculty to change
Lack of needed materials, equipment, or resources.
The risks that students will not participate, use higherorder thinking, or learn sufficient content, that faculty
members will feel a loss of control, lack necessary skills, or
be criticized for teaching in unorthodox ways
Strategies used to increase Active
Learning
► Use
of MyMathLab
► Use of lab top in the classroom
► Offering in class tutorial review session for all
students
► Use Clickers/Cell phone as audience response
system
► Blackboard like Conferences and students
communication
► Group collaboration among students
Active Learning
► Home
work/quizzes/projects are assigned
online.
► Technology (e. g MyMathLab) are used to
increase students engagement
► Students are permitted multiple times on an
activity to master student learning outcome
(SLO).
► Accurate assessment tool for SLO
Technology Considered
► MyMathLab
*
► Microsoft office *
► Hawkes Courseware
► WebAssign
► Blackboard
► Skype *
► Aleks
► Elluminate *
Technology selected *
From Fall 2008-Spring 2011
► MyMathLab/Active
learning in
Developmental Mathematics
► Active learning projects contextualized to
covered topics were assigned
► Student survey at the end of the semester
Grade Distribution A,B &C
Developmental Algebra Grade Distribution
spring 2011
Semesters
fall 2010
Class
spring 2009
A
fall 2007
B
C
spring 2006
fall 2006
0%
20%
40%
60%
Percentages
80%
100%
0
fa 06
ll
sp 2 0
rin 06
g
sp 20
0
ri
su ng 6
m 20
m
06
su e r 2
m
00
m
er 6
20
fa 06
ll 2
0
fa 07
l
sp l 2 0
rin 07
g
sp 20
07
ri
su ng
m 20
m
07
su e r 2
m
00
m
er 7
20
fa 07
ll 2
0
fa 08
ll
sp 2 0
rin 08
g
sp 20
rin 08
g
20
08
fa
ll 2
Grade Distribution D’s&F’s
Opportunity To Improve D's & F's
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
F
D
Class
Knowing what you know now would you recommend
Active Learning / MyMathLab in the next
Mathematics Class
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Yes, very much so, i even asked a professor that didn't have an online access
for studying why didn't she use something similar
No, because not every body has access to a computer all the time even though
as college students we should but unfortunately we all don't
It depends.... If i have you as a teacher i wouldn't, but if I did not have you I
probably would
Yes, I would recommend it
YES, ACTUALLY I ALREADY RECOMMEND IT
Yes. I would recommend it to any student that has a mathematics class
because it could be very helpful to anyone who wants to learn
Yes, i would because it provides you with many different ways of doing math
problems
Yes, because it was very helpful for students and seemed helpful for the
teacher
No, unless u have time set aside to do it
Yes I would recommend the use of MyMathLab in the next math class. Yes
Copy of students e-mail/Solution to
Active Learning
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Mail Message
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Mail
Properties
From:XXXXX <****@yahoo.com>Monday - December 6, 2010 2:55
PMTo:"hessien@ccc.edu" <hessien@ccc.edu>
CC:<****@student.ccc.edu>Subject:Fall 2010 Math 099
ProjectAttachments: Project Cover Sheet.docx (102219 bytes) [View]
[Open] [Save As] math 099_fallproject_2010.doc (31232 bytes)
[View] [Open] [Save As] Graph of Irregular Object.docx (98965
bytes) [View] [Open] [Save As] Area of Irregular Object.docx (94757
bytes) [View] [Open] [Save As] Mime.822 (484445 bytes) [View]
[Save As]
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Reply
Read Later
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Professor Essien, Attached is a copy of my Fall 2010 Math 099 Project. Thank
you, Dawn
Students Solution to an assigned
project
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Mathematics 099 Fall 2010 Project
Using a computer software, plot the following coordinates on graph paper, and connect
each point with the preceding one.
Let point A be (2,9) (3,5),(-2,5),(1,10),(5,11),(5,10),(8,10),(9,7),(4,6),(5,2),(8,0),(5,-1),
(4,-3),(4.5,-5),(2,-7),(4,-7),(5,-10),(-4,-7),(-3,-6),(-7,-7),(-9,-10),(-10,-6),(-8,-4),(-5,-5),
(-5,-1), and point Z be (1, 5).
(a) Connect- the –dots picture (b) Identify the figure in the picture Dog
(c.) What is the domain of the figure? Domain { x | -10 ≤ x ≤ 9 }(d) What is the
range of the figure? Range { y | -10 ≤ y ≤ 11 }
(e) Is it possible to find the area of the identified figure using the formula for area?
(Area= length * Width)? The formula A = l ∙ w, would work for finding the area
of a rectangle or even a square, but not for the irregular shape of the object
on the graph. Please explain, how would you find the area of the above figure? After
searching online, we think the best possible way to estimate the Area of this
irregular shape would be to divide it into shapes whose area you can
calculate, such as triangles and rectangles. With such an irregular shape as
this, we estimated the Area manually, And came up with: ≈ 164.50 Square
Units
(Project adapted from Mathematics its power and utility by K.J. Smith/HE/SP/2010)
Students Solution to an assigned
project Cont.
15
10
5
0
-15
-10
-5
Seri es 1
0
-5
-10
-15
5
10
Students Solution to an assigned
project Cont.
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Math 099 Project
Student XXX*****
We have identified the figure in the picture, it is a dog. The
domain of the figure is Domain: [-10, 9], and the range of
it is Range:{-10, 11}.
It is possible to find the area of the dog using the formula
for area. How we found out the area of the above figure is
that we distinguished the triangles and rectangles in the
picture of the dog. For the two triangles we came up with;
the first triangle being the back of the dog A = ½ *5*9=22.5, he second triangle being the tail of the dog A=
-6 to the second power+-7 to the second power=-10,36+-49=-100, 85=100.
The squares we came up with -5 squared*-5squared.
Can this be replicated in all
discipline?
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If it can be done in Mathematics…
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Based on your reflection, what do you think?
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Learning is not a spectator sport. Students do not learn
much just sitting in classes listening to teachers,
memorizing prepackaged assignments, and spitting out
answers. They must talk about what they are learning,
write reflectively about it, relate it to past experiences, and
apply it to their daily lives. They must make what they
learn part of themselves.
Chickering & Gamson (1997)
Special Thank You to :
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The entire MXC family and CCC
Pearson-MyMathLab and
You (the participant) in particular
Hope Essien
hessien@ccc.edu
(312)850-7402
Malcolm X College
1900 West Van Buren Street
Chicago, IL 60612