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Multiple Angles for Marketing a Math Lab

Multiple Angles for Marketing a Math Lab. John T. Holm Wright State University Math Labs: Where Students Count Conference Bowling Green State University October 15, 2005. Overview of Mathematics Learning Center. Founded in 2000 Uses peer-tutoring format Operates on free walk-in basis

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Multiple Angles for Marketing a Math Lab

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  1. Multiple Angles for Marketing a Math Lab John T. Holm Wright State University Math Labs: Where Students Count Conference Bowling Green State University October 15, 2005

  2. Overview of Mathematics Learning Center • Founded in 2000 • Uses peer-tutoring format • Operates on free walk-in basis • Staff • Full-time director • Part-time student-employees (~ 20) • Housed in Student Academic Success Center • Mathematics Learning Center • Writing Center • Tutoring Services • Developmental Education

  3. Initiatives to raise awareness of the Center andto motivate students to seek assistance there • Newspaper ads • Academic advising • Syllabi • Incentives for students • Faculty communications • Outstanding service

  4. The Center places advertisements in The Guardian,the university’s student-run newspaper. • Got math help? • Light up your math scores! • Sharpen your math skills! • “What . . . another math test?” • See you this summer!

  5. Academic advisors encourage students to use the services of the Mathematics Learning Center. • Over 90 percent of first-year students attend Summer On-Campus Advising and Registration (SOAR), an orientation program that includes a presentation on academic-support units. • First-year students in University College must obtain advisor approval before registration.

  6. Students can find information about theMathematics Learning Center on course syllabi. • Many of the supported courses use departmental syllabi that list the Center’s location and hours. • Faculty who develop syllabi or Web sites are encouraged to include a section on the Center.

  7. The Center provides incentives for students to visit. • Some instructors allow students to go to the Center to make up points missed on a quiz. • The staff has access to instructor solutions manuals and will check even-numbered problems attempted by students. • While working in the room, students may borrow from the Center’s collection of scientific and graphing calculators. • Students may refer to and check out books from the Center’s library.

  8. Incentives (continued) • The Center has seven computers connected to the campus network. • Web-based homework: math.webwork.rochester.edu • Web-based quizzes: iLrn.com • Web-based math utilities: QuickMath.com (below)

  9. The director communicates frequently with course coordinators and instructors. • Email updates are sent prior to the beginning of each term. • Early in the term, the director arranges to visit covered classes, distributing bookmarks (below) and giving a brief informational talk. • Instructors hold some of their office hours in the Center. • The director solicits recommendations for potential tutors from faculty.

  10. The staff strives to deliver outstanding serviceto generate goodwill and positive word of mouth. • A staff member checks with each arriving student. • Tutors adapt their approach to the mathematical level of each student and to the corresponding course objectives. • Finding solutions of a quadratic equation • By factoring • By completing the square • By using the quadratic formula • Finding extreme values of a function • In college algebra • In calculus • The Center collaborates with other units to coordinate assistance. • Computational Proficiency Exam for elementary education majors • Diagnostic Test for Calculus I students • The Center remains open during Summer Quarter.

  11. Assessment of marketing efforts • Sign-in distribution by course • Survey of students who used the Center at least once during term • Did you receive prompt attention? • Did the tutors demonstrate a good understanding of the subject matter? • Did the tutors communicate well? • Did your experience in the Center enhance your learning of mathematics? • Did your experience in the Center improve your performance in the course? • Did your experience in the Center increase your confidence in your math skills?

  12. Assessment (continued) • Survey of students who did not make use of the Center • “I did not have time to get help.” • “I received help from someone else.” • “My instructor provided all the help I needed.” • “I did not need help outside of class.” • “The hours were not convenient.” • “I did not know about it.” • “The location was not convenient.”

  13. Contact information John T. Holm Director, Mathematics Learning Center Wright State University 3640 Col. Glenn Highway Dayton, Ohio 45435 john.holm{at}wright.edu (937) 775-2273

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