With guidance from the National Center for Academic Transformation, we started
Phase I of our redesigned college algebra course in the fall of 2004 by keeping
the same number of lectures as before, but adding a supplemental computer lab.
The students did their homework on-line, either from home or on campus.
However, one of the difficulties with Phase I was the lack of a central place
where we could work with the students. We were limited to 50-minute periods
in one of our computer-equipped classrooms. The students often had to leave
while they were in the middle of a problem. The instructors and teaching
assistants were scattered in various places throughout the day.
Phase II of the redesign began in the fall of 2005, in our newly built Math
Technology Learning Center, MTLC. The MTLC was designed to provide the
centralized resource/learning location needed to take full advantage of the
course redesign. In the MTLC, students can access course material or receive
individualized assistance from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday.
While they can still do their homework from home or any computer lab on campus,
most students choose to spend time in the lab where they can get help when
they need it.
One of our goals for Phase II was to increase discussion among students.
Students tend to be passive recipients of information during lectures, and
student-to-student interaction is not easy. We chose to use a replacement
model to accomplish this goal. This model includes a reduction in lecture
time, replacing it with more individualized time in the lab. The layout of
the MTLC encourages student interaction yet provides adequate privacy for
quizzes and tests.
Our pass rates in college algebra have steadily increased during all phases
of the redesign. In addition, usage of the MTLC has expanded to include
students from other math courses. Trigonometry, calculus and statistics
students all use the lab to do their on-line homework or to get assistance
from instructors and teaching assistants.
The Microsoft PowerPoint presentation
about what we have done and some of our results in College Algebra.
For more information about our course redesign, contact Shahla Peterman at
peterman@math.umsl.edu