PROCEEDINGS OF THE 15TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION (Vol 1)
2012
Portland, Oregon
Improving Student Success in Developmental Algebra and Its Impact on Subsequent Mathematics Courses
Page: 1-59
One direction taken by course reform over the past few years has been the use of computer- assisted instruction, often applied to large-enrollment service courses, and justified in part by cost-effectiveness. Elementary algebra is typically taken by undergraduate students who do not place into a credit course. The goal of such a developmental algebra course has been to enhance students' “algebra skills,” for example, dealing procedurally with rational expressions. Higher-order thinking may be largely absent from such an approach. Our motivating question is “What approach maximizes the student’s chance to succeed in subsequent courses?” In view of our theoretical perspective that an inquiry-based approach enhances learning, a subsidiary question is “Is it effective to blend a focus on skills development (through computer-assisted instruction)with a focus on problem-solving (through cooperative group learning)?” Results of the analysis suggest that effectiveness is a matter of what student outcomes are valued, balanced against cost-effectiveness.