ICTCM 2012 Hope Essien, Malcolm X College (One of the City Colleges of Chicago) Chicago, IL International Conference on Technology in Collegiate Mathematics Orlando Florida March 22-25, 2012

Effect of Active Learning on the Academic Proficiency of Community College Students Enrolled in Developmental Mathematics Courses Time + Energy = Learning Chickering & Gamson (1997) Most of us only know how to be taught, we haven’t learned how to learn. – Malcolm Knowles

Why Active Learning in Developmental Mathematics? Goal: To teach students learning outcome and to improve the academic proficiency of Community College (African American) students enrolled in Developmental Mathematics courses in community colleges. Goal: To teach students learning outcome and to improve the academic proficiency of Community College (African American) students enrolled in Developmental Mathematics courses in community colleges.

Need for Active Learning ► Intentions as facilitators of active learning. ► Technical reflections. ► Practical reflections. ► Perceptual awareness. ► Self-awareness. (Ed Powell, 2005) Conceptualizing and facilitating active learning

Ways to Promote Active learning ► Use Audio Visual Materials ► Collaborative /Cooperative Method/Group ► Computer Aided Instruction ► Lab Activities/Using Demonstrations ► Discussion/Debate/Students Presentations ► Games or Simulations ► Test/Quizzes ► Writing Activities

How do we incorporate active learning in our classroom? ► Develop an integrated project constructed on Mathematics, Science and Career programs on Mathematics, Science and Career programs ► Introduce contextualized or real-world teaching in and out of classroom. ► Reinforce active learning into mathematics curriculum ► Encourage pursuit of more related mathematics careers.

Method of Instruction and Teaching Strategies: Active Learning or Activities-based ► Activity Preparation ► Procedure ► Expected Student Learning Outcome ► Conclusion/ Wrap-up ► Challenges/Opportunities ► Discussion of post activities assignments ► Alternative learning methods if any

About Malcolm X College Mathematics Courses: ► 17 Different Mathematics Courses 158 sections or 5,100 students ► 2 Algebra tracks-107 sections ► Beginning/Elementary Algebra (Math 098) & ► Intermediate Algebra with Geometry (Math 099) 0r 3,368 students (Math 099) 0r 3,368 students

About Malcolm X College Mathematics Courses in one Semester ► General Education Mathematics (Math 118) (Math 118) ► Statistics (Math 125) ► College Algebra (Math 140) ► Pre-Calculus (Math 143) ► Calculus (Math 207), (Math 208), etc ► Specialty courses to support career programs

Projects to meet students interest and students learning outcomes ► Proficiency in Elementary Algebra Math098…59.3% ► Proficiency in Intermediate Algebra Math099…63.8% ► Proficiency in General Education Math Math118…85.2% ► Proficiency in Pre-Calculus Math143…79.9%

Projects to meet students interest and students learning outcomes ► Proficiency in Statistics Math125…90.4% Math125…90.4% ► Proficiency in Calculus 1 (one) Math125…70% Math125…70% A’s +B’s+ C’s A’s +B’s+ C’s Proficiency= Records of All Students Records of All Students

Draw Back of Active Learning Draw Back of Active Learning ► Preparation time for students activity ► Students complains of lack of computers ► Incorporation of tutorial service ► Discomfort and anxiety that change creates ► Limited incentives for faculty to change ► Lack of needed materials, equipment, or resources. ► The risks that students will not participate, use higher- order thinking, or learn sufficient content, that faculty members will feel a loss of control, lack necessary skills, or be criticized for teaching in unorthodox ways

Strategies used to increase Active Learning ► Use of MyMathLab ► Use of lab top in the classroom ► Offering in class tutorial review session for all students ► Use Clickers/Cell phone as audience response system ► Blackboard like Conferences and students communication ► Group collaboration among students

Active Learning ► Home work/quizzes/projects are assigned online. ► Technology (e. g MyMathLab) are used to increase students engagement ► Students are permitted multiple times on an activity to master student learning outcome (SLO). ► Accurate assessment tool for SLO

Technology Considered ► MyMathLab * ► Microsoft office * ► Hawkes Courseware ► WebAssign ► Blackboard ► Skype * ► Aleks ► Elluminate * Technology selected *

From Fall 2008-Spring 2011 ► MyMathLab/Active learning in Developmental Mathematics ► Active learning projects contextualized to covered topics were assigned ► Student survey at the end of the semester

Grade Distribution A,B &C

Grade Distribution D’s&F’s

Knowing what you know now would you recommend Active Learning / MyMathLab in the next Mathematics Class ► Yes, very much so, i even asked a professor that didn't have an online access for studying why didn't she use something similar ► No, because not every body has access to a computer all the time even though as college students we should but unfortunately we all don't ► It depends.... If i have you as a teacher i wouldn't, but if I did not have you I probably would ► Yes, I would recommend it ► YES, ACTUALLY I ALREADY RECOMMEND IT ► Yes. I would recommend it to any student that has a mathematics class because it could be very helpful to anyone who wants to learn ► Yes, i would because it provides you with many different ways of doing math problems ► Yes, because it was very helpful for students and seemed helpful for the teacher ► No, unless u have time set aside to do it ► Yes I would recommend the use of MyMathLab in the next math class. Yes

Copy of students /Solution to Active Learning ► Mail Message Delete From This Mailbox Delete From All Mailboxes This instance All instances Reply to Sender (Include Message) Reply to Sender Reply to All (Include Message) Reply to All ► Reply Read Later Reply Read Later Reply Read Later ► Mail Mail ► Properties Properties ► From:XXXXX Monday - December 6, :55 CC: Subject:Fall 2010 Math 099 ProjectAttachments: Project Cover Sheet.docx ( bytes) [View] [Open] [Save As] math 099_fallproject_2010.doc (31232 bytes) [View] [Open] [Save As] Graph of Irregular Object.docx (98965 bytes) [View] [Open] [Save As] Area of Irregular Object.docx (94757 bytes) [View] [Open] [Save As] Mime.822 ( bytes) [View] [Save As] [View] [Open][Save As] [View][Open][Save As][View][Open][Save As][View][Open][Save As][View] [Save As][View] [Open][Save As] [View][Open][Save As][View][Open][Save As][View][Open][Save As][View] [Save As] Professor Essien, Attached is a copy of my Fall 2010 Math 099 Project. Thank you, Dawn

Students Solution to an assigned project ► Mathematics 099 Fall 2010 Project ► Using a computer software, plot the following coordinates on graph paper, and connect each point with the preceding one. ► Let point A be (2,9) (3,5),(-2,5),(1,10),(5,11),(5,10),(8,10),(9,7),(4,6),(5,2),(8,0),(5,-1), ► (4,-3),(4.5,-5),(2,-7),(4,-7),(5,-10),(-4,-7),(-3,-6),(-7,-7),(-9,-10),(-10,-6),(-8,-4),(-5,-5), ► (-5,-1), and point Z be (1, 5). ► (a) Connect- the –dots picture (b) Identify the figure in the picture Dog ► (c.) What is the domain of the figure? Domain { x | -10 ≤ x ≤ 9 }(d) What is the range of the figure? Range { y | -10 ≤ y ≤ 11 } ► (e) Is it possible to find the area of the identified figure using the formula for area? (Area= length * Width)? The formula A = l ∙ w, would work for finding the area of a rectangle or even a square, but not for the irregular shape of the object on the graph. Please explain, how would you find the area of the above figure? After searching online, we think the best possible way to estimate the Area of this irregular shape would be to divide it into shapes whose area you can calculate, such as triangles and rectangles. With such an irregular shape as this, we estimated the Area manually, And came up with: ≈ Square Units ► (Project adapted from Mathematics its power and utility by K.J. Smith/HE/SP/2010)

Students Solution to an assigned project Cont.

► Math 099 Project ► Student XXX***** ► We have identified the figure in the picture, it is a dog. The domain of the figure is Domain: [-10, 9], and the range of it is Range:{-10, 11}. ► It is possible to find the area of the dog using the formula for area. How we found out the area of the above figure is that we distinguished the triangles and rectangles in the picture of the dog. For the two triangles we came up with; the first triangle being the back of the dog A = ½ *- 5*9=22.5, he second triangle being the tail of the dog A= -6 to the second power+-7 to the second power=-10, =-100, 85=100. ► The squares we came up with -5 squared*-5squared.

Can this be replicated in all discipline? ► If it can be done in Mathematics… ► Based on your reflection, what do you think? ► Learning is not a spectator sport. Students do not learn much just sitting in classes listening to teachers, memorizing prepackaged assignments, and spitting out answers. They must talk about what they are learning, write reflectively about it, relate it to past experiences, and apply it to their daily lives. They must make what they learn part of themselves. Chickering & Gamson (1997) Chickering & Gamson (1997)

Special Thank You to : ► The entire MXC family and CCC ► Pearson-MyMathLab and ► You (the participant) in particular Hope Essien Hope Essien (312) (312) Malcolm X College Malcolm X College 1900 West Van Buren Street 1900 West Van Buren Street Chicago, IL Chicago, IL 60612