Keystone Method

1. Keystone Method by Prof. Vali Siadat Prof. Deloris Holman Prof. Cyrill Oseledets Prof. Euguenia Peterson Prof. Sonia Ramirez A Synergistic Model for Teaching and Learning Keystone Group-Daley College

2. Have you ever noticed how training in calculation helps make a slow mind quicker?Plato, The Republic Keystone Group-Daley College

3. Remedial Mathematics Education is a major problem at U.S. colleges and universities. The Keystone Method was designed to address the needs of these students. Keystone Group-Daley College

4. Keystone Method Hypothesis: • Unsuccessful students do not lack the intelligence or the desire to succeed. • Rather, they are held back by behavior patterns, which inhibit learning. Keystone Group-Daley College

5. Specifically, the Keystone Method recognizes: • Students’ short attention spans; • Inadequate attention to assigned homework; • Short time horizons; • Failure to learn from errors; • Passivity in class, hoping to pass unnoticed; • Poor attendance patterns; • Low self-esteem; • Ignoring teachers’ statements. Keystone Group-Daley College

6. To address students’ short attention spans: • At each class meeting, the instructor gives a time-pressured quiz that requires the students’ full concentration. • At the beginning of each term, the quizzes are short, no more than 10 minutes. • Quizzes are gradually lengthened as students’ attention spans increase. • The quizzes are all cumulative. Keystone Group-Daley College

7. 2) To address students’ inadequate attention to assigned homework: • The daily quizzes are a reflection of assigned homework. • Students who regularly complete homework assignments should receive good grades on the quizzes. Keystone Group-Daley College

8. 3) To address students’ short time horizons: • Students are examined every class period. Keystone Group-Daley College

9. Research has shown that frequent testing has important educational benefits for the learner: • It encourages regular study habits and discourages cramming. • It mitigates test anxiety. • Students favor frequent testing over longer tests that carry exorbitant weight. • It motivates students to constantly review the earlier topics and concepts and helps with consolidation of their learning. Keystone Group-Daley College

10. 4) To address students’ failure to learn from their mistakes: • Students are provided with immediate feedback. • Similar questions are repeated in subsequent quizzes until students achieve mastery in the topic. Keystone Group-Daley College

11. 5) To address students’ passivity: • Students engage in peer tutoring and cooperative grouplearning. • Group learning techniques are employed when the standard deviation of test scores exceed 25%. Keystone Group-Daley College

12. 6) To address students’ poor attendance: • The instructor issues administrative drops for more than three absences, to be reversed only upon the student meeting certain conditions. Keystone Group-Daley College

13. 7) To address students’ low self-esteem, the instructor gives the students: • Well-defined tasks, • The tools to carry out those tasks, • Prompt feedback for their attempts, • Repeated success when they achieve mastery. Keystone Group-Daley College

14. 8) To address students’ ignoring teachers’ statements: • The professor gives the students repeated evidence that his/her instructions produces success. Keystone Group-Daley College

15. Results of the Keystone Study Keystone Group-Daley College

16. Students in Keystone classes improve in their ability to focus their attention on a task, even if that task is not a mathematical one. Keystone Group-Daley College

17. Results of the Keystone Study Keystone Group-Daley College

18. Results of the Keystone Study Keystone Group-Daley College

19. Results of the Keystone Study Keystone Group-Daley College

20. Results of the Keystone Study Keystone Group-Daley College

21. Results of the Keystone Study • 23% of students entering Control classes went on to take and pass a college credit math class in a future term. 41% of students entering Keystone classes went on to take and pass a college credit math class in a future term. 79% of students entering Keystone classes went on to take and pass a take any class in the subsequent term. 63% of students entering Control classes went on to take and pass a take any class in the subsequent term. Keystone Group-Daley College

22. Math-110 Student Performance on External Summative Assessment Instrument (COMPASS Test)2003-2005 Keystone Group-Daley College

23. Math-110 Student Performance on Internal Summative Examinations(Departmental: midterm and final) Measured by Mean2003-2005 Keystone Group-Daley College

24. Math-110 Student Performance on Internal Summative Examinations(Departmental: midterm and final) 2003-2005Measured by Passing Rate (70% or higher) Keystone Group-Daley College

25. Math-110 Student Performance on Internal Summative Examinations(Departmental: midterm and final) Measured by Retention Rate2003-2005 Keystone Group-Daley College

26. Correlation Between Internal and External Summative Exams2003-2005 Keystone Group-Daley College

27. Math-112 Student Performance on Departmental Final Exam Measured by Mean 2003-2005 Keystone Group-Daley College

28. Math-112 Student Performance Measured by Passing and Retention Rate 2003-2005 Keystone Group-Daley College

29. Math-112 Student Performance Measured by Success Rate 2003-2005 Keystone Group-Daley College

30. Conclusion: • The formative assessment in the form of frequent cumulative multiple-choice quizzes with immediate, constructive feedback reveals the levels of conceptual understanding in a timely manner and improves student academic performance on the summative assessment instruments. • Increased frequency of formative assessment provides better results on the summative assessment. • The results achieved on valid and reliable internal (departmentally designed) summative assessments are an accurate predictor of the scores on external examination (COMPASS Test). Keystone Group-Daley College

31. Conclusion: The Keystone Method is the essential piece in an arch: the stone that holds all others in place. Keystone Group-Daley College

32. Recommendation: • The Keystone method should continue to be studied, along with other effective methods, to foster student learning in all developmental mathematics classes. Keystone Group-Daley College

33. What is next? • Powerful computer technologies will simplify the practical use of Keystone and provide: • Computerized grading of assignments; • Automatic item analysis; • Real-time grading and feedback; • Automatic assessment of learning outcomes. Keystone Group-Daley College

34. What we hope for? • Synergetic combination of the Keystone Method with powerful software technology will further improve students performance. • Computerized Keystone Method will create a possibility for an effective coordination of multiple section classes. • Simplicity and power of this approach will result in wide use of the Keystone Method. Keystone Group-Daley College

35. The End Keystone Group-Daley College