PROCEEDINGS OF THE 21ST ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2018
San Diego, California
Cooperative Learning and its Impact in Developmental Mathematics Courses: A Case Study in a Minority-Serving Institution
Page: 1748
In this poster, we report on the evolution of developmental students’ mathematics background knowledge after a four-week long course that emphasized active learning. The research took place at a large Hispanic serving institution in the state of California. Students’ progress or lack thereof was measured using a diagnostic test developed by the Mathematics Diagnostic Testing Project (MDTP). These students were initially considered not ready for college level mathematics course work and were subsequently enrolled, in a four-week summer course which is designed to prepare them for a college level math course. During each class, students would spend at least 30 minutes engaging in cooperative learning that utilizes active learning strategies such as think-pair share, peer lesson, and wait time. A pre/posttest analysis of SYART showed that these students showed a statistically significant growth, leading us to conclude that the four-week intervention in math remediation had a considerable impact.