Testing for Learning in College Algebra

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Testing for Learning in College Algebra

• Benito Chen-Charpentier
• Department of Mathematics
• University of Wyoming

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Why do we have tests?

• Assessment
• Students, instructor, course
• Learning tool
• Forces students to study
• Students learn from doing and from their
  errors

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Introduction

• What type of tests are used in College Algebra?
• Standard paper tests
• Oral tests
• Computer-based tests

4
Survey

• Sent over 200 questionaires
• Received 107
• Results
• 90 stated that they use traditional
  open-ended/short answer type problems.
• 29 use multiple choice questions.

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• 80 hand graded by professor.
• 10 computer-based tests.
• 38 satisfied with current method.

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Computer based tests

• Web-CT
• E-Companion
• WeBWork
• I-Learn
• Others Blackboard, Mymathlab

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Some Concerns

• Not very flexible usually multiple-choice or
  numeric answers.
• Need the right answer in the right format.
• Students need to learn to use the system.
• Learning curve for instructors.

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What is WeBWork?

• WeBWorK is an Internet-based system for
  generating and delivering homework, quiz and test
  problems to students. Its goal is to make
  homework, quizzes and tests more effective and
  efficient.
• Free.
• No strings attached.
• Independent of book publisher.

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WeBwork as a learning tool

• Providing students with immediate feedback on the
  validity of their answers and giving students the
  opportunity to correct mistakes while they are
  still thinking about the problem.
• Providing students with individualized versions
  of problems.
• Reinforce the fact that the right answer is
  important.

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Increases the efficiency

• Providing automatic grading of assignments.
• Providing information on the performance of
  individual students and the course (or section or
  recitation) as a whole.

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Main features

• Advanced mathematics problems can be authored,
  displayed and printed with typeset quality.
• WeBWorK comes with a Rochester library of over
  2500 problems covering pre-calculus, first year
  calculus, vector calculus, differential
  equations, probability, and statistics.
• Easy to modify problems or author new ones.

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• WeBWorK produces similar but individualized
  problems for each student.
• Easy to fix number of chances students have to
  get correct answer.
• Flexible mechanisms are available for handling
  numeric, symbolic, and string answers.
• String answers allow for T/F, matching,
  multiple-choice, and short answer questions.

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• Problem sets are graded automatically, and the
  resulting scores are easily exported to and
  imported from spreadsheet programs such as Excel.
  
• Much more detailed statistical information on the
  current progress of a class or an individual in
  completing any assignment is available.
• For physics problems, WeBWorK can check units
  attached to numeric answers and make the proper
  conversions.
• Graphs of functions can be generated "on the fly"
  

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• Students can access WeBWorK from any computer
  connected to the internet, and instructors can
  use any computer and browser for management of
  the assignments.
• Instructors and TA's can view the precise version
  of the problem seen by each individual student
• Easy for the student to send feedback to the
  instructor.
• Tests can be easily personalized.

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WeBWork for quizzes and tests

• Students need to get correct answers.
• Immediate feedback.
• Can fix their errors and learn in the process of
  doing it.
• Less stress.
• Automatic grading.
• Is cheating an issue?

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Some examples of using WeBWork

• http//hosted.webwork.rochester.edu/webwork2/UWYO_
  math1400
• math.webwork.rochester.edu

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• For some examples of different types of
  questions
• http//webhost.math.rochester.edu/webworkdocs/docs
  /pglanguage/tutorial/index
• For a tutorial One day in the life of a webwork
  instructor
• http//webhost.math.rochester.edu/webworkdocs/docs
  /courseadmin/usingwebwork

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Assessment

• Hard to do.
• One possibility See how students do
• in their next math or stat course.
• Spring 2006
• average grade all sections
• 2.38
• average grade section 06
• 2.55

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Conclusions

• Students like WeBWork
• Learning curve
• Automatic grading and summaries are great.
• Better learning?