Precalculus Course Redesign Phoebe Rouse Louisiana State University DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS

1. Precalculus Course RedesignPhoebe RouseLouisiana State UniversityDEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS

2. Goals and Results of LSU Precalculus RedesignFall 2003-Spring 2009 • To reduce personnel costs (savings of 35%) • To incorporate technology to grade student homework (MyMathLab) • To provide consistent content presentation (√) • To continue current success rates (improved)

3. Redesign Timeline at LSU • Spring 2004 - Planning • Fall 2004 - Pilot MyMathLab software, join R2R program • Spring 2005 – Pilot of College Algebra redesign • Fall 2005 - Partial implementation of College Algebra redesign; opened Pleasant Hall 1st floor lab • Spring 2006 – Full implementation of College Algebra redesign; pilot of Precalculus (course) redesign • Fall 2006 - Full implementation of Precalculus (course) redesign; opened Pleasant Hall basement lab; pilot high school redesign program for College Algebra • Spring 2007 - Full implementation of Trigonometry Redesign; pilot high school redesign program for Trigonometry • Fall 2007 - All sections of College Algebra, Trigonometry, and Precalculus (course) redesigned; opened Pleasant Hall basement side room; continue high school redesign program for College Algebra • Spring 2008 – All sections of College Algebra, Trigonometry, and Precalculus (course) redesign; expand high school redesign program for College Algebra and Trigonometry

4. Redesigned Courses College Algebra (3 cr. hrs.) • 2200 students per year • 1 hour per week in class of 40 students • minimum of 3 flexible-time hours per week in lab Trigonometry (3 cr. hrs.) • 1600 students per year • 1 hour per week in class of 40 students • minimum of 3 flexible-time hours per week in lab Precalculus (5 cr. hrs.) • 400 students per year • 2 hours per week in class of 40 students • minimum of 5 flexible-time hours per week in lab

5. Pleasant Hall Math LabFall 2005

6. PH Basement Math Lab Fall 2006

7. PH Basement Side Room Fall 2007

8. Lab Features • 275-seat learning lab open 60 hours each week • Capacity of 15 students per 1 computer in learning lab • Test in university testing center • Staggered due dates for all assignments • Staggered attendance week for students • Ratio of 1Tutor/Teachers for each 20 students • AccuTrack student tracking software

9. Pedagogical Keys to Math Redesign Using Technology • Active Learning Experience • Personalized, Individualized Instruction  • Immediate Feedback  • Repetition to Mastery

10. Final Grade Distribution 10% Participation (5 % class and 5 % lab) 10% Homework (drop lowest 2) 10% Quizzes (drop the lowest 2) 45% Tests (3 - 5 total) 25% Final (replaces lowest test score if higher)

11. College Algebra Fall Results *Course rigor increased.

12. TrigFall Results

13. College Algebra, Trig, PrecalculusFall Participation Grades

14. College Algebra Spring Results

15. TrigSpring Results

16. College Algebra, Trig, and PCSpring Participation Grades

17. Redesign Personnel Program Management • Overall program administrator • Course coordinators for each course • Tutor supervisor • Time clock manager Teaching • Instructors • Upper level math graduate students Lab Tutoring • Instructors • Upper level math graduate students • First-year math graduate students • Ugrad math majors Tech support • Ugrad students from LSU ITS

18. Assignment Settings Homework • Unlimited attempts prior to due date • Help, Examples, Videos, Textbook, and Tutors available • Practice Homework for each section without due dates Quizzes • Ten attempts for each quiz, 75 minute time limit • Restricted re-access • Keep best score • Not proctored or password protected • Tutorials available on review Tests • One attempt, 90 minute time limit • Non-restricted re-access • Proctored and password protected

19. Tutor and Teacher Training • Ugrad Tutor Training Program a. Hiring and screening b. Pre-semester workshop • First-Year-TA Tutor Training Program a. Pre-semester workshop b. Fall semester Comm Math course c. Spring semester Comm Math course • First-Time-Teaching-Redesign Teacher Workshop (R2R Manual) 4. Pre-semester Meeting for All Teaching

20. Elements of a Sustained Redesign • Detailed course syllabus and individual daily schedules • Online assessments and carefully chosen assignment settings • Settings for individual students • Process for importing into and exporting from the gradebook • Precise password management • Allowance for open homework • Rotating lab and efficient time clock management • Well-trained teachers and tutors and constant tutor supervising • Attention to lessons learned

21. Do’s and Don’ts • Do stagger student assignment deadlines to avoid an overloaded lab • Do set up homework and quizzes to be due before the new material is taught. • Do establish credit hour equivalencies prior to assigning teacher’s schedules. • Do increase administrator/coordinator release time to run program. • Do designate a person to manage data, a person to prepare the lab schedule for tutors and train them, and a person to become expert at using the time clock. • Do prepare for the unexpected. • Don’t give up!

22. “Must Haves” for Redesign • The support of both the department administration and the upper administration • A strong-willed, thick-skinned program director • A core group of instructors and professors dedicated to working hard to make the redesign succeed • Space and computers for a learning lab • A willingness on the part of everyone involved to be flexible and CHANGE 6. A purpose and an overall plan for redesign

23. Contact Info Phoebe Rouse LSU prouse@lsu.edu NCAT Redesign Scholar MyMathLab Faculty Advocate