Julie Bergner UC Riverside Assessing a summer preparatory workshop for mathematics transfer students Julie Bergner UC Riverside

Program overview Two-week program in August All mathematics transfer students invited to apply 11 students participated (out of 30, all who applied) Two graduate students did much of the teaching

Typical daily schedule 30 minute morning warmup (icebreakers, logic puzzles, games) Most of morning spent on intro to proof content (brief lecture followed by group problem solving) Afternoon discussion of Logicomix Panels (grad students, previous transfers), undergrad advisor, math club advisor

Other activities Lunch with coordinator for STEM programs for transfer students Advising for fall courses Group presentations on future math courses (algebra, analysis, topology, differential equations) Weekend barbecue Closing banquet

Why this program? Increasing number of transfer students Takes place at same time as transition from computational to theoretical content Often good students but overwhelmed by transitions Lose a year if they fail courses in the fall Campus programs focus on research, can maybe admit one math student per year

Participants All math transfers 47% Chicano/Latino 23% Caucasian 13% Korean 3% Philippino 23% Chinese/Japanese 50% Male 50% Female Program participants 27% Chicano/Latino 45% Caucasian 18% Korean 9% Philippino 0% Chinese/Japanese 64% Male 36% Female

Pre- and posttest data Average pretest score 26% Sets 40% Logic 14% Proofs 18% Functions 25% Average posttest score 69% Sets 85% Logic 66% Proofs 70% Functions 56%

Participants in action…

Intro to proof in Fall 2015 10 out of 11 were enrolled Pretest/posttest/total course average: Whole class: 32%/65%/71% (C+) Transfers from program: 46%/66%/76% (B-) Other new transfers: 20%/63%/72% (C+)

Department involvement Students from program continued to study together, participated in Math Club 3 students took the Putnam Exam 1 student went to Southern California Women in Mathematics Symposium (only one other UCR undergraduate attended) More interaction with faculty (professors, undergraduate advisor, math club advisor) Faculty and TAs noticed group dynamic

To think about… Slight negative effect for students who were very strong coming into summer program Emphasis on intro to proof not as helpful for applied math majors More diversity among students who did not participate – how to recruit more effectively? Students unable to participate due to family or job commitments

Future plans Incorporate linear algebra content (most students took in fall also) Use student comments and results for recruitment Possible formal follow-up activities

Final group photo

Thanks to… Support from NSF CAREER award UCR Mathematics Department Graduate students Matthew Barber and Christina Osborne Photo credits: Christina Osborne