Developmental
Mathematics
Redesign ….
David Atwood, Sarah Endel
April 16, 2014
RAMSP
I always got A’s and B’s in
high school—just gonna
crank through this.
I just broke
up with my
boyfriend.
I already
know this.
I hate math.
Trends
• National
– Less than 10% of
those that start in
the lowest course
will finish the
developmental
sequence and take a
college level math
course. (Bailey,
Jeong & Choo,
2008)
• RCTC
– Less than 35% of
those students who
enroll in Pre-algebra
will pass Elementary
Algebra within one
year.
– 75% of incoming
freshmen do not
place into college
level mathematics
Mission
• Improve Student Performance
• Save students money on tuition and textbooks
• Reduce the number of attrition points
• Improve student engagement
• Shift enrollment from developmental courses to
college level courses.
Computer Mediated
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Video lectures for each section
E-book
Examples
Homework helps
24/7 access
Immediate feedback
Established level of mastery
Individualized System of Instruction:
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•
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Multiple entry levels depending on
placement score
Multiple exit levels depending on
program of study
Mastery learning - eliminates knowledge
gaps
Student accountability
Increased personalized student and
instructor interaction
Self-paced:
•
Students can pretest out of modules they
have previously mastered
•
Students can accelerate and complete
multiple levels in one semester
•
Students needing more time on a specific
topic can progress at a slower
pace
Course Coordination:
•
Standard course content and instructor
training
•
Collaboration with other academic
departments: Nursing, Chemistry
•
Ongoing communication with advisors for
proper course placement
•
Intrusive Advising
Student Comments:
• “I’ve learned more because I can really dig into some
problems which I may have just given up on or skipped it
if we were taught differently.”
• “Honestly. I hated math growing up. It was usually my
worst subject. Now, I am getting an A.”
• “I feel a high level of self-esteem each time I make it
through another level.”
• “My instructor would be there to teach me a variety of
ways to understand what I didn’t get.”
Statistics…
Data Collected
• Internal data collection and analysis
to determine course effectiveness
• Institutional data to compare success
rates with traditional course success
rates
• Data from Chemistry department to
determine course readiness
• External study – John Asmussen
Results from Fall 2011
1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
Redesign 2011
Traditional 2011
152 of 199 students completed the redesigned courses
628 of 821 students completed the traditional courses
The percentage of those who completed the redesigned course was about
equal to the percentage who completed the traditional course.
Results from Fall 2011
1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
Redesign 2011
Traditional 2011
135 of the 152 students who completed the redesigned courses earned a grade of A,
B, or C.
487 of the 628 students who completed the traditional courses earned a grade of A,
B, or C.
The percentage of those who successfully completed the redesigned courses was
statistically higher than the percentage of those who successfully completed the
Results from Fall 2012
1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
Redesign 2012
Traditional 2012
235 of 310 students completed the redesigned courses
214 of 307 students completed the traditional courses (Pre-Algebra only)
The percentage of those who completed the redesigned course is
statistically higher than the percentage who completed the traditional
course (p = 0.044).
Results from Fall 2012
1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
Redesign 2012
Traditional 2012
198 of the 235 students who completed the redesigned courses earned a grade of A,
B, or C.
154 of the 214 students who completed the traditional courses earned a grade of A,
B, or C (Pre-Algebra only).
The percentage of those who successfully completed the redesigned course was
statistically higher than the percentage of those who successfully completed the
traditional course (p = 0.0008).
Results….
• 77% of Math 0080 and 69% of Traditional students
completed Chem 1117
• 71% of Math 0080 and 87% of Traditional students
completed Math 1111
• 78% of Math 0080 and 67% of Traditional students
completed Math 1115
• Completion rates were similar for both types of
developmental math series, suggesting that the students
were well prepared for the courses , no matter which
developmental series they had taken.
Summary
• Students who placed at the Pre-Algebra level have
the most to gain from the Math 0080 series.
• Pre-Algebra placements that later completed College
Algebra were able to finish the course in an average
of 3.2 terms after starting the series, while the
average terms-to-completion for students who
started in the traditional series was 4.5 terms. (Note,
however, that the percentage of College Algebra
completers was less than 3% for each group)
Contact Information
Sarah.Endel@roch.edu
David.Atwood@roch.edu