Mark TurnerCuesta College

Bridging TheTechnology Gap -

Helping Students Succeedin College Algebra

BridgingThe

TechnologyGap -

Helping Students Succeed

InCollegeAlgebra

OVERVIEW

• The Issues• The context at Cuesta• Concerns

• The Course• The Tutorial• Results

• Our results• Student comments

• Closing Remarks• Advantages of this approach

Overview

ISSUES

Issues

Course

Tutorial

Results

Closing

The Context at Cuesta College:

We offer a five-unit Precalculus Algebra course (Math 42) in which graphing calculator technology is heavily integrated.

ISSUES

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The Context (continued):

Most instructors use an overhead viewscreen calculator or a data projector in class to demonstrate the necessary skills.

ISSUES

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• Rarely time to perform a sequence of steps more than once

• Little opportunity to give individual assistance to students who make a mistake

• Difficult for students to follow the instructor and take notes simultaneously

Concerns:

ISSUES

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• Textbooks provide general, but not specific, calculator instruction

• Student who forgets the proper sequence at home has no resource available

Concerns (continued):

• Instructor often has to go fairly fast

ISSUES

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• How do we provide more effective calculator instruction for students so that the calculator does not impose a barrier to their success?

Primary Dilemma:

COURSE

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Our Solution…

A one-unit, self-paced distance learning course as a

companion to the primary course.

Let’s take a look!

TUTORIAL

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The Precalculus Algebra TI-83/TI-84 Tutorial is used to provide the calculator instruction.

• Text-independent, calculator specific

• Browser-based

• Windows or Mac platform

• Online or CD-ROM version

RESULTS

Issues

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• The calculator is no longer a barrier to learning

• Students who need the extra help are successful!

Our results –

RESULTS

What the students have to say…

“It is a lot easier to learn how to use the calculator with the CD, then trying to keep up with the speed of my instructor.”

“Some problems that I enter into the calculator I do with ease…when before this course all I saw were a bunch of buttons.”

“The content has really helped me in my Math 42 class and I am able to do my math homework without having to struggle with the calculator.”

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“The main reason for my success in this class was having the information available to me- right at my fingertips when I needed it. The TI-83 manual is way too technical and the Math 42 textbook doesn’t present a lot of these certain skills on the calculator, but having this particular resource was a benefit.”

“This class was extremely helpful in regards to my Math 42 class. I absolutely could not have done as well as I did without the ability to fully utilize my calculator. I attribute much of my Math 42 success to this class and its direct correlation to Math 42.”

“I am totally jazzed about all the new things I AM LEARNING about my TI-83 calculator. The calculator is no longer an object to confuse and confound me, it has become an extension of the my thought process in Math…It makes math so much easier to understand.”

“[The tutorial] has proven a huge help to me. I got a 99% on my last test and am really excited about that. This is the exact reason why I chose to take this supplement course.”

“So far the [tutorial] is helping me out very much. I feel as though I have a jump on everybody else in the class.”

“I enjoyed the ability to work at my own pace, and when it was convenient for me.”

“I would recommend both the class and the tutorial for students, especially after having taken Math 42 and seen how fast the teacher works with the calculator. There is no time to learn how to use the calculator in class.”

“I can’t imagine that I would have passed the course without [this class]. I know two people who dropped Math 42 because they were so frustrated by their calculator.”

“This class helped out tremendously in Math 42. This was my first time using the calculator, so it helped having a tutorial to guide me. The math book doesn't explain how to use the calculator, so I would have probably done poor in class without it.”

“Hi. I just wanted to let you know I got 100% on my exam. I definitely could not have done that well if I had not known how to use my calculator as well as I do. I was able to check all my answers for correctness and it paid off! Thanks for offering this very valuable resource!”

CLOSING

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• Optional

• Flexibility

• Provides the resource students need (and instructors too!)

Advantages of this Approach:

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• Does not require classroom space

• Eases the burden on the instructor in the primary course

• Students receive credit for their investment of time

Advantages (continued):

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Questions?

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Thank you for coming

!