Developmental Math Coordinator Report
George Alexander
April 12, 2002 Spring Department Meeting
On-Line Learning Labs and uwc.academic.com
We now have Blackboard course sites that will allow students easier access to the Academic.com tutorial modules that we have available through the UW Colleges site license this semester. At this point, all students enrolled in Mat 091, 105 or 110 have been enrolled in the appropriate Blackboard course site. Students who want to make use of the Academic.com lessons at home should pick up one of the CDs for faster home access and downloading required software plug-ins.
To date, the student response has been pretty limited. In Mat 110, one student has worked on 5 learning objects. In Mat 105, three students have worked on a total of 25 learning objects (most of these from one student). The little feedback I have heard directly has been positive, however.
The Developmental Math Committee has forwarded recommendations on course descriptions to the department curriculum committee. I anticipate bringing these items to the fall department meeting for action.
(1) Revise allowable credit ranges. The current descriptions allow 1-3 credits for Mat 081 and 2-4 credits for Mat 09x. Current usage and expectations however suggest that the lower credit numbers are not appropriate. Mat 081 should be offered for 3 credits only, and Mat 09x should have a range of 3-4 credits.
(2) Grade requirement for passing Mat 090. Where offered, Mat 090 prepares students for Mat 09x, but there is not department policy or condition for advancement. We should require a minimum C grade in Mat 090 before a student may advance to Mat 09x.
(3) Complete course offerings on each campus. To provide all students with an appropriate selection of course offerings, we need to improve on the availability of options for students entering with the lowest level placement scores. To this end, we should recommend that all campuses provide at least one of the following options (in order of preference):
a. Offer Mat 090 for 3 credits;
b. Offer a 5 credit single-semester sequence in Mat 090 and Mat 091;
c. Offer Mat 091 for 4 credits;
d. Offer Mat 090 by CV if campuses cannot justify enrollments for above options
A course “offering” means availability at least once per academic year. A campus could continue several 3-credit Mat 091 sections, for example, if at least one section runs at 4-credits and enrolls the students with the lowest level of placement test scores.
(4) New Course.
Intended
primarily for students concurrently enrolled in Basic Mathematics, Elementary
Algebra or Introduction to College Algebra, this tutorial will provide
individualized instruction to help students develop the fundamental skills and
basic techniques of mathematics required for success in those courses and in
higher-level mathematic courses.
This would provide a compliment of courses for students who struggle with ENG and MAT and/or are high risk. A student who scores low in ENG and MAT placement exams - which is common – could take MAT 091, ENG 098, ENG 099, MAT 099 and LEC 100 Fr Seminar) for 13 credits their 1st semester. This array of course would provide tremendous support and opportunity individual attention - plus increase the likelihood of retention.
Assessment Plan for Mat 09x
I intend to collect assessment information from Mat 09x instructors at the end of the semester. Instructors may participate by using one or more questions from the Mat 09x assessment pool as part of their final exams. Directions have been mailed out to all IAS in the department.
Distance Education Developmental Math
Mat 081 (Alice Bishop) – Compressed Video – Spring 2003
(Baraboo, Marshfield, Manitowoc, Richland, and Sheboygan)
Mat 091 (George Alexander) – Online Course – Fall 2002 and Spring 2003
Since the coordinator position expectations have been revised, I am expecting to continue campus visits on the rate of 3 campuses per semester over the next two years. Marshfield, Baraboo, and Fond du Lac will be first in the Fall 2002 semester since these campuses will all have new deans. I plan to visit Manitowoc, Washington and Waukesha in Spring 2003; Fox Valley, Marinette, and Richland in Fall 2003; and Barron, Marathon and Sheboygan in Spring 2004. I am holding visits by compressed video this semester with some of the campuses furthest down the list so that we can touch base in the meantime. Other CV visits would be easy to schedule anytime if we think extra meetings may be necessary.
See the program website at http://rock.uwc.edu/galexand/devmath/devmath.htm,
or contact George Alexander directly: galexand@uwc.edu,
608-758-6627.