FAculty Collaborations for Course TransformationS

This post begins a series to outline the current projects of our team members in Fall 2009.

Bob Hasson, College of San Mateo

I have been creating Webwork problems for Elementary Algebra. I will use my Webwork problems in that course in similar ways to how I use Webwork in other courses:

1.  I will assign and count on-line, Webwork homework.
2.  It will count the Webwork homework 10% of the grade.
3.  I will also assign a lot of homework out of whatever textbook I use.
3.  Students who have an overall Webwork score of 80%, will get to drop
their lowest exam score (out of about 8 exams).

I find the above works fairly well in my other courses such as Trigonometry and Engineering Calculus.  Because of the grade incentives, there is more homework compliance than otherwise. I also find that a lot of students use the “e-mail the teacher” option in the Webwork problems to ask questions on the homework.  This gets students more help, and helps me to better understand the problems my students are having. Also, students seem to get more engaged with the course (since they are actually doing the homework), and one result is that they engage more with each other in class when I pose problems in class.

One possible problem that I see is that only a few students actually get 80% on the homework – which means that only a few get to drop an exam.  It would be nice to get better homework scores, on the theory that students will probably show better learning.

An additional note on finding the right mix of local, regional, state-wide and national collaborations: some colleges have their own local workspaces for sharing resources and discussing exemplary practices. For example, check out this prototype site for San Diego City College math faculty to share resources they have found particularly valuable for their students.

At the state-wide level, the developmental mathematics content in the  Effective Practices Database will be available in early 2010 to highlight teaching practices which have been demonstrated to be effective in improving student learning outcomes. This will give us a route to “promote” practices from the regional level to reach a wider audience – the state-wide database will emphasize practices with compelling data about the impact of a change in teaching strategies.

A number of interactions have emerged across the current three FACCTS Dev Math teams – San Diego, Los Angeles and South Bay. This gives us an opportunity to explore how to build on regional collaborations with more links across different regions, and how to connect like-minded faculty who are pursuing similar enhancements to their students’ learning experiences.

For example, Jennifer Cass from Cabrillo College in the south Bay area is building on the resources on tutor training developed by Cuyamaca College faculty on the San Diego Dev Math team. Faculty from Mission and West Valley colleges are linking up with work by Matt Robertson at West Los Angeles to benefit from his surveys of student attitudes and experiences with homework – engaging students in deeper learning approaches to their homework is a common issue across a number of teams.

Several faculty members across teams are also creating resources for students to use in reviewing concepts presented in class. You can see a set of these from LA Valley College, featuring the Refrigerator Math Prof, at this link. Another topic which a number of our faculty want to address is the development of study skills as an integral part of their math courses.

One of the ongoing issues with our cooperative faculty innovation teams has been the way team members provide feedback on projects from other colleges. Ideally, each project would receive ongoing input from other colleges with insights from the personal experience of colleagues and ideas about how to design the project resources for optimal re-use elsewhere. In practice, the flow of ideas can be uneven over time and across projects.

On previous teams, responsibility for providing input on other projects has been shared across all team members. We are using the LACCD Dev Math team as a pilot for a more systematic approach, asking individual team members to serve as Reviewers on specific projects of other colleges. This does not restrict team members from commenting on other projects, and the program support team will continue to provide input across colleges. The program evaluator will gather data on the relative effectiveness of suggesting Reviewer assignments, using comparative data from the South Bay Dev Math team which will continue with an informal shared responsibility.

VALLEY

Steven and Teresa are creating Skill Building Activities – 15 minute activities that will be incorporated into each 70 minute class.  Teresa is focusing on activities related to specific elementary and intermediate algebra math topics, and Steve is focusing on activities related to math anxiety and test taking skills.

WEST

Henri is exploring multiple avenues for improving student performance of math skills.  These approaches include internet-based learning, in-class powerpoint presentations, frequent examinations, and more.

Matt is exploring what motivates students to learn, how students approach learning and studying, and what techniques instructors can use to increase commitment to and effectiveness in studying.  His work so far includes an assessment of students’ attitudes toward mathematics, an examination of student reflections on relationship between performance and commitment, and a review of the literature surrounding motivation and investment in learning.

PIERCE

Bruce and Kathy have developed an approach to teaching elementary and intermediate algebra with the following key aspects:

1) Lessons have both reading and writing components

2) Classroom lessons are activity based

3) Mathematical concepts and skills are developed in context.  Environmental sustainability is a common theme.

4) Study skills are incorporated into each lesson

5) Professional development is a key component for instructors to share materials, pedagogy and experiences.

They have developed reading materials, classroom activities and homework assignments that are available online.

They are testing this approach in classes this semester and using the results to refine their materials and processes.

SANTA ANA

Caren is working to help students master application problems in elementary algebra in several ways, by:

1) developing modules of activities and tools for each classic type of application problem.  Part of the focus of the modules is on general problem solving strategy and estimation.

2) developing a WordProbTutor modeled after OLI’s StatLabTutor, which will guide students in setting up equations, solving equations, and provide feedback about their work.

3) working with other departments to identify and then develop discipline-specific application problems.