[net-gold] Remediation for Remedial Math
- From: "David P. Dillard" <jwne@xxxxxxxxxx>
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- Date: Sun, 13 May 2012 07:25:10 -0400 (EDT)
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Date: Sat, 12 May 2012 10:24:19 -0700
From: Richard Hake <rrhake@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Reply-To: Net-Gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: AERA-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: Net-Gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Net-Gold] Remediation for Remedial Math
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ABSTRACT: Norman Stahl of the LRNASST-L list has pointed to Mitch
Smith's (2012) "Inside Higher Ed" article "Remediation for Remedial
Math" at <http://bit.ly/JtnbKp>. Smith wrote (paraphrasing; my CAPS):
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"Texas appears to be the first state to adopt drastic rethinking of
remedial math in all its community colleges. When the new system,
dubbed Mathways, is fully in place, remedial students who intend on
majoring in a science- or math-based field will still take a
traditional, algebra-based developmental course. BUT OTHER STUDENTS
MIGHT TAKE CLASSES IN STATISTICS OR QUANTITATIVE REASONING, subsets
of math that could prove more relevant to their careers and present
less of a barrier to [those] emerging from remedial education."
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In my opinion, the major problem my not be inherent difficulty for
many students of the algebra on which remedial courses concentrate,
but the fact that such courses are ineffectively taught as
passive-student lecture courses. Jerry Epstein's (2007) "Calculus
Concept Inventory" is beginning to show the abysmal ineffectiveness
of standard introductory calculus courses. Similarly an "Algebra
Concept Inventory" might show the same thing for current algebra
courses.
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*************************************************
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Norman Stahl (2012) of the LRNASST-L list has pointed to Mitch
Smith's (2012) "Inside Higher Ed" article "Remediation for Remedial
Math" at <http://bit.ly/JtnbKp>.
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Smith wrote, in part [bracketed by lines "SSSSSS. . . ."; my insert
at. . . . . .[[insert]]. . . . ]:
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SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
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Too many students are failing their remedial math classes, and those
who succeed often have little use for the advanced algebra on which
those classes focus.
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Acknowledging that, and hoping to replicate local successes,
officials from all 50 Texas community colleges have endorsed a
multiyear project designed to fundamentally change remedial math.
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In Texas, students referred to developmental classes are 50 percent
less likely than their peers to earn a credential or transfer to a
four-year college. Math is often their biggest hurdle, and students
are steered into algebra-based remediation regardless of their majors.
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Despite wide acknowledgment of problems nationally, systemic changes
to remedial education have been slow to materialize. On the micro
level, projects from the "Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of
Teaching" . . . .[[the link <http://bit.ly/KhOcDe> is incorrect,
Smith may have intended <http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/quantway>
and <http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/statway>]]. . . . and others
have shepherded more students through remedial classes and into
college-level courses. But many of these projects reach relatively
small numbers of students, and there have been few efforts to "scale
up" these ideas. Texas appears to be the first state to adopt such a
drastic rethinking of remedial math in all its community colleges.
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When the new system, dubbed Mathways, is fully in place, remedial
students who intend on majoring in a science- or math-based field
will still take a traditional, algebra-based developmental course.
But other students might take classes in statistics or quantitative
reasoning, subsets of math that could prove more relevant to their
careers and present less of a barrier to [those] emerging from
remedial education. Students who are undecided on a major are likely
to be steered toward statistics, with "bridge courses" available
later on if they select a science or math major.
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Kay McClenney. . . . .[[<http://bit.ly/KbLk7g>]]. . . . is a
University of Texas at Austin project director who helped develop a
recent report . . . . . .[["A Matter of Degrees: Promising Practices
for Community College Student Success - A First Look" (CCCES,
2012).]] . . . . showing the scope of the remediation problem at the
state's community colleges. She wasn't directly involved in
developing Mathways, but believes the project could mark a dramatic
shift in a remediation program that was consistently failing students.
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SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
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In my opinion, the major problem my not be inherent difficulty for
many students of the algebra on which remedial courses concentrate,
but the fact that such courses are ineffectively taught as
passive-student lecture courses. Jerry Epstein's (2007) "Calculus
Concept Inventory" is beginning to show the abysmal ineffectiveness
of standard introductory calculus courses. Similarly an "Algebra
Concept Inventory" might show the same thing for current algebra
courses.
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Richard Hake, Emeritus Professor of Physics, Indiana University
<rrhake@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Links to Articles: <http://bit.ly/a6M5y0>
Links to SDI Labs: <http://bit.ly/9nGd3M>
Blog: <http://bit.ly/9yGsXh>
Academia: <http://iub.academia.edu/RichardHake>
Twitter <https://twitter.com/#!/rrhake>
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REFERENCES [All URL's shortened by <http://bit.ly/> and accessed on
12 May 2012.]
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CCCES. 2012. "A Matter of Degrees: Promising Practices for Community
College Student Success - A First Look," Center for Community
College Student Engagement; University of Texas at Austin; online as
a 848 kB pdf at <http://bit.ly/IQdDXx>.
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Epstein, J. 2007. "Development and Validation of the Calculus Concept
Inventory," in "Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on
Mathematics Education in a Global Community," 7-12 September, edited
by Pugalee, Rogerson, & Schinck; online as a 48 kB pdf at
<http://bit.ly/bqKSWJ>.
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Smith, M. 2012. "Remediation for Remedial Math," Inside Higher Ed, 9
May; online at <http://bit.ly/JtnbKp>.
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Stahl, N. 2012. "Inside Higher Ed," LRNASST-L post of 9 May 2012
08:00:47-0400; online on the OPEN! LRNASST-L archives at
<http://bit.ly/JNIUvw>.
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- » [net-gold] Remediation for Remedial Math - David P. Dillard
