Mississippi Valley State University
Course Title: Intermediate Algebra
Contact: Latonya Garner
Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU) plans to redesign Intermediate Algebra, which enrolls ~500 students annually. More than half of all entering undergraduates are placed in the course which repeats material that students should have learned in high school. The course is taught in a traditional lecture format using common syllabi and tests and a common final exam.
The traditional course suffers from the common problem of low success rates. Over 50% of the students receive D or F grades, generating a high number of students who must repeat the course. Faculty members have difficulty tracking homework assignments, and students do not receive immediate feedback on their work. This course often represents a roadblock to student success, standing in the way of degree attainment.
MVSU will use the Emporium Model in its redesign. Students will be required to spend three hours per week in a computer-based math laboratory working with Hawkes Learning System. They will also meet once a week for lectures to outline the upcoming week’s content. Students will practice exercises, complete homework assignments online and take automated low-stakes quizzes. One faculty member will coordinate the course and all personnel. Four instructors will provide tutorial assistance in the computer lab each term.
The student-centered learning environment created by the redesigned course will make students active and engaged learners. They will receive immediate feedback on all of their work. Instructors will track student progress and provide remedial support as appropriate. Instructors and undergraduate peer tutors will provide both one-on-one and small-group tutorial assistance in the computer lab. The transition from a passive to an active learning environment will increase students’ success rates. The department’s goal is to increase the pass rate to 75%, which will significantly reduce the number of students who must take the course multiple times.
Student learning will be assessed by comparing performance on a common final exam in the traditional format during the 2006-2007 academic year to the redesigned sections taught in spring and fall 2009. Pre- and post-test results will also be compared.
The redesigned course will reduce the cost-per-student from $183 to $139, a 24% savings. The savings will be achieved by decreasing the number of sections from 17 to eight and increasing section size from 27 or 32 to 60. The number of faculty will be reduced from 13 to six. Professional staff will be hired to assist students in the lab in addition to the faculty teaching the course and undergraduate peer tutors. Savings will allow faculty no longer teaching the course to increase other math course offerings. Savings will also be used to maintain the lab as well as to support math faculty development activities with special emphasis on pedagogy and new technologies.
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