Michele J. Hansen, Ph.D., Director of Assessment, University College

1. Assessing the Effectiveness of a Learning Community Course Designed to Improvethe Math Performance of First-Year Students Michele J. Hansen, Ph.D., Director of Assessment, University College Susan G. Meshulam, Lecturer Department of Mathematical Sciences and Adjunct Faculty University College Brooke N. Watson, Graduate Assistant for Assessment, I/O Psychology Master’s Student E.C. Moore Symposium March 4, 2010 Indianapolis, Indiana Research supported by IUPUI University College Faculty Fellowship

2. IUPUI – University College • Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) • Downtown Indianapolis • Public comprehensive four year institution • Over 200 academic programs • Doctoral/Research Intensive • Enrollment - 30,383 • Undergraduate - 22,119 • Graduate - 8,264

3. First-Year Students • Large number of under-prepared first-year students struggling to balance work and school commitments. • 7% admitted conditionally. • 41% of first-year students are first-generation college students. • 86% of first-time, full-time students plan to work while attending college. • 76% of first-time, full-time students commute to campus.

4. University Colleges provide a structure to address the need for a comprehensive approach to entering students.

5. University College • Academic unit formed in 1998 • Houses numerous first-year programs • Serves Over 8000 students

6. IUPUI Curriculum • Principles based – no core curriculum • Principles of Undergraduate Learning (PULs) • Core Communication and Quantitative Skills • Critical Thinking • Integration and Application of Knowledge • Intellectual Depth, Breadth, and Adaptiveness • Understanding Society and Culture • Values and Ethics

7. IUPUI Math-Linked Seminars • First year students • Offered during the Fall Semesters

8. 4 Math-Linked Learning Communities • 3 are linked to Introductory Algebra • 1 is linked to Intermediate Algebra • Meets 1 day each week for 1 hour and 15 minutes • 25 students in each learning community • Team teaching: Instructor Student Mentor Advisor Librarian

9. Collaborative Learning • Students get to know peers in math class • Students develop study groups for homework and tests

10. Study Skills • Students learn how to read a math book • Students are taught how to prepare BEFORE their math class meets • Students discuss math anxiety

11. Time Management • Students need to do math two hours a day • Students map out a daily schedule using a date planner

12. Learning Styles • Students take an abbreviated Barsch Learning Styles test in class • Students discuss their strengths and weaknesses in learning new material

13. Campus Involvement • Students are required to attend campus activities • Students are required to attend the Mathematics Assistance Center (MAC)

14. Math Professor Panel • Students have the opportunity to ask math instructors questions • Students feel less intimidated around their math instructor

15. Why Assess Math Learning Community Courses? • Demonstrate worth and value • Improve teaching and learning • Learn about impacts and goal achievement • Contribute to course development and improvement • Obtain student feedback

16. Need to Improve Math Learning Experiences for First-Year Students • “There are serious problems in K-12 mathematics education, but college faculty also need to look to their own house and think about the first-year experience of their own students.” • “There is a significant gap between student experience of mathematics in high school and the expectations they face on entering college, and there are troubling signs that this gap may be widening.” David Bressoud, President of the Mathematical Association of America, (2009)

17. Assessment Methods Quantitative Qualitative Interviews with Students Richard Light Style of Interviews - Undergraduate students (not in course) hired and trained to conduct the interviews. Content Analysis of Open-Ended Survey Items • Questionnaires administered to students enrolled in Math-Focused Learning Community compared with students enrolled in Math 001 and Math 110 Not Linked. • Academic Performance in Math Classes.

18. Fall 2007 Math Learning Community Course Students: MATH 001 Introductory Algebra N=58 • 12.72 - Average Course Load • 19.39 - Average Age (range 18 – 36) • 426.60 - SAT Verbal • 425.11 - SAT Math • 2.84 - High School GPA • 74% - Conditional Admit • 67% - First-Generation • 69% - Female Ethnicity • 74% - Caucasian • 24% - African American • 2% - Asian American

19. Fall 2007 Math Learning Community CourseStudents: MATH 110 Intermediate Algebra N=21 • 13.19 - Average Course Load • 18.82 - Average Age (range 18 – 20) • 437.33 - SAT Verbal • 436.67 - SAT Math • 3.08 - High School GPA • 38% - Conditional Admit • 43% - First-Generation • 90% - Female Ethnicity • 76% - Caucasian • 24% - African American

20. Questionnaire Method • Administered to students in Math-Focused Learning Community and sample of students enrolled in Math 001 and 110, but NOT enrolled in Math-Focused Learning Community • Administered in class • Voluntary participation • Response rate = 52% • Note – 90% of students in comparison group also enrolled in a first-year seminar, but not math focused.

21. Questionnaire Respondents N=139 • 71% were Females • 56% Conditional Admits • 19.63 Average Age Ethnicity • 76% Caucasian • 18% African American • 2% Asian American • 2% Latino/a • 2% Other • SAT Math Score only significant difference between Respondents (889.22) and Non-Respondents (935.60)

22. Using Academic Support: The Math Assistance Center • 65% of MATH-SEMINAR LINKED Course used Mentoring/Tutoring In MAC 3 or more times. • 12% Math courses NOT LINKED used MAC 3 or more times.

23. Using Academic Support: The Math Assistance Center • 93% Math-Focused Learning Community Course would seek out Mentoring/Tutoring In MAC in Future Math Courses • 68% Math Courses not linked would seek out the MAC.

24. Forming Study Groups • 54% Math-Focused Learning Community Course formed a study group. • 37% Math Courses not linked formed a study group.

25. Math -Focused LC Areas of Strength Only bolded items significantly different based on independent samples t-test (p< .05)

26. Math-Focused LC Areas In Need of Improvement Only bolded items significantly different based on independent samples t-test (p< .05)

27. Helpful Aspects of Math Seminar

28. Most Useful Topic of Math-Learning Community Course

29. Most Useful Topic of Non Math-Learning Community Course

30. Study Techniques Used

31. 2007 Math-Focused Learning Community Students’ Academic Performance and Success Math 001 * First-year students enrolled in the same section of Math 001, but not enrolled in linked math-focused learning community course.

32. 2007 Math-Focused Learning Community Students’ Academic Performance Math 001 * First-year students enrolled in the same section of Math 001, but not enrolled in math-focused learning community course. Based on an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Math-Focused LC Grade in Math Course marginally significantly higher than non-participants’ Math Course Grade (p =.058). Covariates in the model included Math SAT score and HS GPA.

33. 2007 Math-Focused Learning Community Students’ Academic Performance and Success Math 110 * First-year students enrolled in the same section of Math 110, but not enrolled in linked math-focused learning community course.

34. 2008 Math-Focused Learning Community Students’ Academic Performance and Success Math 001 * First-year students enrolled in the same section of Math 001, but not enrolled in linked math-focused learning community course.

35. 2008 Math-Focused Learning Community Students’ Academic Performance and Success Math 110 *First-year students enrolled in the same section of Math 110, but not enrolled in linked math-focused learning community course. **More students attempted a second math course if in the Math-Focused LC (15) compared to those students not in the Math-Focused LC (10).

36. Student-to-Student Interviews • Two undergraduate research assistants were trained in the fall of 2007 on how to conduct effective interviews for the purpose of qualitative research. • At the beginning of the spring semester, 2008, the trained undergraduates interviewed 8 of their peers that were enrolled in the math-focused seminar, and simultaneously enrolled in either Math 001 or Math 110. • The purpose of the interviews was gain an in-depth students’ perceptions of effectiveness and affective reactions to the math-focused LC courses.

37. Student Interviews Overall Findings • Students found any activity dealing with actual practice of math to be the most useful aspect of this class. • Many students reported that if they could modify the course it would be by devoting more of class time to completing math problems and discussing difficulties associated with students’ math courses. • The time management session seemed to be quite effective in influencing students to be more organized with school in general and more diligent about practicing math routinely. • Math anxiety focus of this course seemed to be particularly helpful to students reporting this as a personal issue they are facing.

38. Students’ Voices • “I think it is a good resource class. I think it will give a lot of help to people with math anxiety or taking any type of math class. I think it is a good course to be taken.” • “It was linked to our math course and we were able to review for tests” • “I gained study habits”

39. Students’ Voices • “we do math work in class and it’s like you have two classes right in a row where you learn to study the same thing” • “studying the book [one of the things they taught us in class]…take an hour or two out of class and just do practice problems” • “to do practice problems” • “basically gave us different skills to study for a test before it came up”

40. Students’ Voices • “I learned to take my time, to work through a problem slowly, and that if I didn’t get one at that time to finish the test and come back to it” • “I learned that most problems that people have when it comes to taking a test is that they don’t know how to just relax and take their time and concentrate” • “helped to relax…and think about what I was doing so it helped me learn more than just hurrying up to get done and just to not worry about it”

41. Students’ Voices • “time should be set aside for doing math problems…so you don’t have to cram for a test and still end up getting a bad grade” • “not to cram myself full of math the night before a test” • “stuff should be on a schedule and should be done at certain times instead of everything just done whenever” • “to plan, not procrastinate”

42. Students’ Voices • “I will probably have a lot more math in it…doing math problems similar to the type we are doing in class that day” • “do more math practice” • “focus more on math practice” • “a lot more time in class working with practice problems and going over tests and stuff”

43. Closing the Loop – Next Steps Extended class time (35 minutes more) will: • Result in a 2-credit hour class meeting one day a week • Allow for math problem practice time • Allow study groups to form in class (and then hopefully carry on outside of class)

44. Other changes • Require more MAC visits • Improve the math anxiety lesson • Assign homework – math related