Southeastern Louisiana University
Course Title: Intermediate Algebra
Contact: Rebecca Muller
Southeastern Louisiana University (SELU) plans to redesign Intermediate Algebra, its one developmental math course. The course is taught in a traditional lecture format and enrolls about 1200 students annually with 700 in the fall, 350 in the spring and 150 in the summer.
The Intermediate Algebra course faces two problems. The first is a low completion rate. In fall 2007, only 31.3% of the students enrolled completed the course successfully. This low rate is typical and presents a roadblock to students’ overall progress at the university. If students do not complete their developmental requirements in math and English within two semesters, they are not allowed to re-enroll at the university. Students are not prepared for the course, and the traditional course format does not rectify their deficiencies. Most students do not even attempt to complete homework on a regular basis. The second problem is a projected increase in student demand. The minimum ACT scores enabling a student to place out of developmental math will increase from 18 to 19 in fall 2009. This change will most likely increase enrollment in Intermediate Algebra by ~400 students.
SELU will redesign Intermediate Algebra using the Replacement Model. Rather than meeting three times per week, students will meet twice a week; the third session will be replaced by a requirement to spend three hours in a math learning lab. Students will complete homework, quizzes and tests using MyMathLab and receive one-on-one help from instructors and peer tutors in the lab.
The student-centered learning environment created by the redesigned course will enhance the quality of the course and improve learning outcomes. The online components will engage students with the material and give them immediate feedback on their performance. Students will have the flexibility to go to the lab at their own convenience. Their progress will be closely monitored: their successes will be praised and individualized assistance will be provided to address their deficiencies. One-on-one instruction in the lab will enhance their learning experience.
Student learning will be assessed by comparing baseline data with performance in the redesigned sections. The SELU math department has historically administered common final exams and will draw baseline data from the fall 2006 and 2007 semesters. The student population in these semesters most closely resembles the student population that will be in the redesigned course. In fall 2008, students in 20 redesigned sections will take the same common final exam.
The redesigned course will reduce the cost of instruction by decreasing the number of sections from 54 to 45 and increasing section size from 25 to 40 students. The number of faculty teaching the course will be reduced from 26 to 21 on average. The cost-per-student will decrease from $201 to $100, a 50% savings. The university plans to use the savings to invest in other courses that can be redesigned on the campus, outside of the mathematics department.
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