Online Technology in a Large Liberal Arts Math Class

1
Online Technology in a (Large) Liberal Arts Math
Class

• Fred Butler
• Institute for Math Learning
• West Virginia University

2
Institute for Math Learning

• The Institute for Math Learning (IML) was created
  to improve student success in calculus and below
  math courses at WVU (liberal arts math, college
  algebra with applications, college algebra,
  trigonometry, precalculus, applied calculus),
  which are typically taught in large lecture
  sections (100-230 students)
• Each course is run by a course coordinator who is
  in charge of developing materials, and taught by
  the coordinator and lecturers
• Historically, DWF rates in these courses have
  fluctuated between 40 and 60
• The goal of the IML is to hold the DWF rate in
  all of these courses to 30 or below

3
IML Methods

• Most IML course coordinators are attempting to
  reach this goal by doing the following
• Actively engaging students during lecture through
  participation activities involving, for example,
  Personal Response Systems (PRS)
• Providing multiple forms of assessment (in-class
  participation activities, homework quizzes, labs,
  exams, writing activities)
• Demonstrating to students the utility of the
  mathematics being learned, both in lecture and
  through hands-on computer laboratory activities
• Using technology (PowerPoint, Java applets, PRS,
  Web CT Vista, etc.) as a tool to accomplish these
  goals

4
General Information about Liberal Arts Math at WVU

• Terminal math course - no prerequisites, and not
  a prerequisite for another math course
• Most students take it to fulfill the university
  math liberal arts requirement
• Three sections of 220 students each in the fall,
  two sections of 220 students each in the spring
• Topics Problem Solving and Set Theory, Logic,
  Number Theory, Metric System and Geometry,
  Probability and Statistics

5
Web CT Vista

• Online course management system
• Students complete all homework quizzes, labs, and
  exams in Web CT Vista
• Assigned homework list, syllabus, PowerPoint
  lectures, and course announcements are all posted
  on a course webpage in Web CT Vista
• Students can check their grades, and review
  previously submitted assignments, on this webpage

6
Advantages of Using Vista

• Very little grading (only essay questions must
  be graded by hand), allowing more time to focus
  on course improvement and management
• Dont have to collect and hand back thousands of
  paper assignments
• Grades are recorded automatically
• Students cant turn in assignments late

7
Disadvantages of Using Vista

• Students in Liberal Arts Math are less familiar
  with technology, and can sometimes have
  difficulty
• Some students find it difficult to take exams on
  a computer (feel they should be able to do all
  problems in their head)
• Computer problems (java, pop-up blockers)

8
Advantages of PowerPoint Lectures

• Students are encouraged to print out lectures on
  which to take notes
• Provides very detailed, step-by-step explanation
  of material for students
• If students miss class, they know exactly what
  was covered
• Easily integrates with Personal Response System
  (will discuss later)

9
Disadvantages of PowerPoint Lectures

• Doesnt leave a lot of room for instructors to do
  other things
• Students know exactly when class will end, and
  pack up early
• Difficult to write math in PowerPoint
• Can be boring for the students

10
Personal Response System

• Each PRS classroom has 250 transmitters (coded
  with unique 6 digit numbers), and 6 receivers
  (mounted to ceiling)
• Students are assigned a transmitter which they
  pick up at the beginning of class and return
  after class
• During class students use transmitters to answer
  multiple-choice questions posed by the instructor
• Points are kept track of by the PRS software,
  graded for correctness, and incorporated into
  student grades

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PRS Question

• Using the figure to the right, what is
• GB U GF?
• 1. BF 2. ? BGF
• 3. G

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Advantages of PRS

• Keeps students paying attention
• Motivates students to attend class, and stay for
  the entire class (830 AM class example)
• Gives students instant feedback on whether or not
  they understand material, and how they compare
  with rest of class
• Gives instructor instant feedback

13
Disadvantages of PRS

• Technology glitches (took a while to work out,
  but better now)
• There are a lot spreadsheet files to keep track
  of (class rosters, session files for each class)
• Takes up class time (good to introduce a new
  topic)

14
Homework Quizzes

• Completed on Web CT Vista
• Made up of a random selection of homework
  problems assigned from textbook
• Students get three attempts, and highest scoring
  attempt is counted
• Different quiz each attempt

15
Laboratory Activities

• Extend what was covered in class
• Often use java applets, or some other kind of
  technology, to explore a mathematical idea in a
  hands on way
• In Liberal Arts Math in 2004-2005, we loosely
  attempted to show students real-world application
  of math being learned.
• In Liberal Arts Math, students have to work on
  labs on their own (no space in computer lab for
  lab day)

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Survey

• In the spring 2005 semester, we gave a voluntary
  in-class survey to students about which aspects
  of the course (PowerPoint lectures, homework
  quizzes, labs, PRS questions) were most helpful
• Students were asked to respond to each statement
  on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5
  (strongly agree)
• We received responses from over 200 students

17
Survey Results

• Students found PowerPoint slides (average 4.06)
  and the Homework Quizzes (average 4.11) to be
  useful aspects of the course in preparing for
  exams
• Students found the labs to be the least useful in
  preparing for exams (average 2.53), and not very
  helpful to see the real-world applications of the
  math being learned in class (average 2.58)

18
Future Plans

• Developed new labs, with the explicit goal of
  showing students real-world applications of math
  being learned
• Hope to some day have a lab day, which will
  enable us to have more involved labs
• Continue to try new things with PRS
• Website www.math.wvu.edu/fbutler
• E-mail fbutler_at_math.wvu.edu