Online Homework and Assessment Systems: Fashion or Fad

1. Online Homework and Assessment Systems: Fashion or Fad ColoMATYC Annual Conference Arapahoe Community College Friday March 8, 2013 Jeffrey V. Berg Arapahoe Community College jeff.berg@arapahoe.edu

2. Products • Introductions – Survey of Current Practice • Background of Presenter • Strength and Advantages • Weaknesses and Disadvantages • Sample Homework/Prebuilt Courses • Reliability and Validity of Tests • Unexpected Philosophy Shift of Using Online Testing in a Face-to-Face Setting • Future Direction/Discussion Topics

3. Products MAA (open source) – Webworkhttp://webwork.maa.org/ Cengage – Enhanced WebAssignhttp://webassign.net/brookscole/ MacGraw Hill – Alekshttp://www.mhhe.com/success/math/aleks-homework.php McGraw Hill – Connect http://connect.mcgraw-hill.com/connectweb/static_pages/index/index.html Pearson – MyMathLab/MathXLhttp://pearsonmylabandmastering.com/ xyz Textbooks - http://www.xyzhomework.com/ WebAssign - http://webassign.net/ lyryx - http://www.lyryx.com/math.html

4. Introductions Name Experience with online assessment products written homework only written quizzes only written test only online and written homework online and written quizzes online and written tests online homework only online quizzes only online test only

5. Background of Presenter Initial Skepticism The Plunge – Fall 2008 Online College Algebra – 14 sections Online Intermediate Algebra – 4 sections Online Calculus I – 1 section (spring 2013) Face-to-Face College and Intermediate Algebra Face-to-Face Calculus I and II

6. Strengths and Advantages

7. Strengths and Advantages • Cost to student • Flexibility • Immediate feedback • Unlimited attempts (on homework) • Test Generation • Study aids • Automated grading • Compilation of student performance data • Record of student effort – time spent on assignments

8. Disadvantages and Weaknesses

9. Disadvantages and Weaknesses • Impersonal • Notational inflexibility for answers (?) • Written work not viewed by instructor • Student practice with hand-drawn graphs 2013 Joint Meetings San Diego Customizable graphical user interface applets integrated with WeBWorK calculus problems. Daniel Gries*, Hopkins School (1086-VF-1023) • Immediate feedback hampers development of skills in reflection and patience

10. Time Spent on Homework Initial philosophy – 5 questions per section Sample Homework/Prebuilt course – about 20 questions per section Fall 2011 MAT 121 106 sections 4.2-4.4 16 questions approximate average time per student - 45 minutes Spring 2013 MAT 121 106 sections 4.2-4.4 63 questions mean time per student – 4 hours 2 minutes median time per student – 2 hours 35 minutes

11. Sample Homework/Prebuilt Course MAT 201 Calculus I – 24 hours 36 minutes MAT 202 Calculus II – 27 hours 50 minutes MAT 202 101 Spring 2013 15 sections of Homework Roughly 4-6 hours per week on homework

12. Reliability and Validity of Tests “On-line Mathematics Education: Are We Upholding Our Responsibilities?” Mathematical Association of America – Rocky Mountain Section Conference Colorado School of Mines April 17, 2009 Jeffrey V. Berg

13. Reliability and Validity of Tests Academic Year 2012-2013 Fall 2012 Face-to-Face Spring 2013 Online

14. Unexpected Philosophy Shift of Online Testing in a Face-to-Face Setting • Test Security – Early Online Discussion • Two Attempts • Test Day Evolution

15. Products • Introductions – Survey of Current Practice • Background of Presenter • Strength and Advantages • Weaknesses and Disadvantages • Sample Homework/Prebuilt Courses • Reliability and Validity of Tests • Unexpected Philosophy Shift of Using Online Testing in a Face-to-Face Setting • Future Direction/Discussion Topics

16. Future Direction/Discussion Topic • Academic Integrity • Deficiencies • Two Attempts vs Practice Test/One Attempt • Assignment Deadlines • Show your Work • Professional Time Commitment