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Broadening the Pipeline Comprehensive Math Reform that Increased Completion without Limiting Options. Erik Scott Developmental Mathematics Committee Chair. Thinking About Your Institution. What improvements are you seeking in your precollege math students’ achievement and understanding?
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Broadening the Pipeline Comprehensive Math Reform that Increased Completion withoutLimiting Options Erik Scott Developmental Mathematics Committee Chair
Thinking About Your Institution • What improvements are you seeking in your precollege math students’ achievement and understanding? • What strengths does your math department have that can facilitate changing the curriculum and pedagogy? • In what ways does your math department’s culture or personnel hinder or prevent change? • What strengths does your institution have that can facilitate this type of change? • In what ways does your institution hinder or prevent this type of change?
Overview – Changes to Sequence Prior Sequence Current Sequence
Key Features of Courses – Math 81 • Learning goals include • Describe and use available resources to be successful in math classes. • Describe your reasoning on a task, including sources of confusion or errors. • Mastery tests – signed numbers, equation solving • Relevant applications – car rentals, home remodeling, personal finance, following stock prices • Active classroom – group work or guided activities • Online homework system (MyMathLab) • Custom textbook (Rockswold + Martin-Gay)
Key Features of Courses – Math 91 • Learning goals include • Describe your level of understanding before a formal assessment as well as steps you will take to improve. • Describe and consistently apply an effective strategy for solving problems. • Mastery tests – function concepts, linear functions • Relevant applications – Analyzing real data/graphs using ideas of functions and lines, comparing models • Same text, HW system, and approach to class time
Key Features of Courses – Math 98 • Course emphasizes • Function families and the algebra of functions, which gives a reason for adding rational expressions • Solving nonlinear inequalities and features of graphs, which gives a reason for factoring • Transformations, which gives a reason for completing the square • Additional emphasis of the CRS Student Attributes • Students should take responsibility for their own learning • Students should pay attention to detail • Homework – Option of paper or MyMathLab • Text – Int. Algebra-Graphs & Models (Bittinger, et. al.)
Evidence of Effectiveness I Overall Pass Rates – % of Students Earning 2.0 or Higher
Evidence of Effectiveness II Persistence to College Level in One Year –
Evidence of Effectiveness III Pass Rates in College-Level Course –
Factors Leading to Change • Achieving the Dream – Data focus • Autonomy of curriculum groups in department • Prior efforts to create alternative algebra pathways • College and departmental-level focus on learning outcomes • Annual scheduling of faculty and courses • Administrative support with regard to DTA
Factors Leading to Successful Implementation • Ongoing communication with full department • Gathering & acting on feedback • Seeking vote of support • Having different groups of faculty develop the gen-ed and STEM-focused algebra courses • Allowing faculty to opt out of teaching these courses • Proactive and ongoing training of faculty • Inclusion of adjunct faculty as partners • Faculty Inquiry Groups – supported by SBCTC’s Rethinking Precollege Math grant • Positive initial data on student achievement/attitudes
Comparison to Other Approaches Statway & Quantway (Carnegie Foundation) • Similarities – Enable completing precollege to college-level course in one year; all use authentic contexts and data • Differences – Direct students toward specific college-level courses; complicates advising for students who do not complete the full program
Comparison to Other Approaches The Emporium Model (NCAT, Virginia Tech) • Similarities – Use online homework systems and typically include mastery requirements • Differences – Tech-dependent, emphasis on skills over concept
Applying These Ideas to Your Institution • What improvements are you seeking in your precollege math students’ achievement and understanding? • What strengths does your math department have that can facilitate changing the curriculum and pedagogy? • In what ways does your math department’s culture or personnel hinder or prevent change? • What strengths does your institution have that can facilitate this type of change? • In what ways does your institution hinder or prevent this type of change?
Questions? Contact me (Erik Scott) at escott@highline.edu