1. A Short, HIGH level Overview of Mastering…
I’ll share here that I’ve been using Mastering for 5+ years now in both Physics and Astronomy, and have absolutely found it to be THE most important and useful addition to my teaching that I’ve made in over 20 years.
Scott Hildreth
Astronomy & Physics – Chabot College – Hayward, CA

2. I’d share that I use Mastering in two very different types of classes, for very different types of students.
Astronomy Classes (~50 students)
1st-2nd semester non-science, non-math majors
3-unit GE classes with no pre-req’s
Online & On-campus sections
Physics (20 – 50 students)
2nd – 3rd year Science/Engineering Majors
5-unit classes with 4 hours lecture/disc + 3 hours lab
unit schedules + outside jobs

3. Goals Mastering’s Genesis How Your Students See it
How YOU see it – and use it
Tips, Ideas, Caveats
Getting you started!
I’d share that I use Mastering in two very different types of classes, for very different types of students.
Astronomy Classes (~50 students)
1st-2nd semester non-science, non-math majors
3-unit GE classes with no pre-req’s
Online & On-campus sections
Physics (20 – 50 students)
2nd – 3rd year Science/Engineering Majors
5-unit classes with 4 hours lecture/disc + 3 hours lab
unit schedules + outside jobs
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

4. An Overview of Mastering
Online Homework System with 24/7 availability
Grew out of MIT’s Physics Courses early 2000’s
Check out Dr. David Pritchard video
Availability anywhere, anytime
Deploy Questions/Offer Help to students
Provide automatic feedback, grading, diagnostics
While I initially saw the system as a homework tool, I’ve evolved to see it as much more. It is also a tutorial system, helping students learn with a variety of media types. It is a learning system, as wrong answers are reviewed and hints/feedback developed to address student problems. It is a teaching system, providing diagnostics to me about my students.
Stress here that for me, the biggest values come with the pedagogical benefits to my students, the data available to me so that I learn how they are learning, and the ability to use the system for a variety of classes and students.
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

5. Types of hints in many tutorial problems – not just one dimensional
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

6. An Overview of Mastering
Online Homework System with 24/7 availability
But much more…
Great Range of Problems, Tutorials, Quizzes
Dynamic, context-specific hints & feedback
Rich Diagnostics by student/class
Enormous “elasticity” for use by different faculty and for different curricula
While I initially saw the system as a homework tool, I’ve evolved to see it as much more. It is also a tutorial system, helping students learn with a variety of media types. It is a learning system, as wrong answers are reviewed and hints/feedback developed to address student problems. It is a teaching system, providing diagnostics to me about my students.
Stress here that for me, the biggest values come with the pedagogical benefits to my students, the data available to me so that I learn how they are learning, and the ability to use the system for a variety of classes and students.
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

7. Mastering is adding new features & functions
I’d share that I use Mastering in two very different types of classes, for very different types of students.
Astronomy Classes (~50 students)
1st-2nd semester non-science, non-math majors
3-unit GE classes with no pre-req’s
Online & On-campus sections
Physics (20 – 50 students)
2nd – 3rd year Science/Engineering Majors
5-unit classes with 4 hours lecture/disc + 3 hours lab
unit schedules + outside jobs

8. Mastering allows us to Learn from Our Students!
OK – so how do you get going?

9. Using Results
Cannon, Annie
Einstein, Al
Fermi, Rico
Feynman, Dick
Leavitt, Henrie
Pei, I.M.
Schwarzschild,
Xi, Hua
There are great results available graphically for each assignment, providing information on student scores, time, problem difficulty, problem score, and histograms for time and score. Each can be turned on or off as required. I show students the results in general in class, and talk about some of the problems reported generically.
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

10. Using Results Success by student
Cannon, Annie
Einstein, Al
Fermi, Rico
Feynman, Dick
Leavitt, Henrie
Pei, I.M.
Schwarzschild,
Xi, Hua
Success by student
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

11. Using Results Average Time
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

12. Using Results
Difficulty
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

13. Using Results Score by Problem
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

14. Let’s See the System - 1
Live example of my physics class from this spring, showing home screen, assignments, due dates, etc.
Go to online site
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

15. Ways I Use Mastering Required weekly homework assignments
In-class collaborative group work
Lecture – doing problems together
Required reading quizzes & exams
Exam Preparation
Extra Credit & Remedial Help
What you hopefully have seen from the example is that there are multiple types of assignments possible. Some might work for you, others might not. There isn’t just ONE right way to use the system! I’ve found that for my physics students who are science/engineering majors, a longer once-per-week HW works, but for my non-major astro students, and biological science physics students, shorter assignments seem better. You’ll know your own classes and students best – but the key thing is that I’ve found the system to be flexible enough to work for variety of uses.
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

16. Getting Started! OK – so how do you get going?
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

17. Creating Courses Look at Textbook editions & Available resources
Mastering vs. Modified Mastering
Ask your colleagues & Pearson rep…
Check out Online Guide comparison
There are great video clips to get you going, available in the Home page of your course (LEARN MORE)
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

18. Create a course, copy in materials, set up basic info
Let’s See the System - 2
Create a course, copy in materials, set up basic info
Transition back:
Not only are the many hints, there are different kinds of hints, and statistics are kept on EVERYTHING students access and answer…
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

19. Creating Assignments Create a Standard HW category
Hint options, Late penalties, # Attempts, etc.
Easy to change later
As you get comfortable…
Add categories for quizzes, remedial, EC,
Adjust credit for hints, late work, etc.
Try simple editor to add/delete/enhance parts
You can easily copy assignments from one course to another, changing only the due dates.
There is quite a bit to say about credit for hints (or not), penalties, # of attempts, and no ONE right answer on how to use the features. me if you are interested in discussing options and how you might try.
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

20. Massive Help Available!
You can easily copy assignments from one course to another, changing only the due dates.
There is quite a bit to say about credit for hints (or not), penalties, # of attempts, and no ONE right answer on how to use the features. me if you are interested in discussing options and how you might try.
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

21. Getting Help Extensive Video Help “How do I..?” videos
Ask Expert Users!
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

22. Using the Item Library Sort Problems by difficulty, type, title
Customize credit based on time or difficulty
Track total estimated time & difficulty
Add messages to enhance instructions
Edit to clarify, add value, delete parts
Item Library
Check to see what is available with your book. You should see
End of Chapter questions/problems (EOC)
Skill-Builder SB Tutorial Questions
Tutorial questions with stepped hints.
Test Banks
Imported problems in your own library or shared by others.
Strategies
Choose on difficulty
Choose on time
Choose on content
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

23. Tracking Student Grades
Let’s now talk about the gradebook
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

24. Gradebook Views Overall Scores for every student Adjustable filters
The gradebook keeps all submitted work by assignment, with color coding icons to indicate success, score, time, difficulty
The left blue bar has student names, covered here for obvious privacy reasons as this is a live class shot… I don’t want anyone here who might happen to be a friend or relative of one of my students calling them up and ragging on them for doing poorly in their physics class! 
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

25. Gradebook Views Assignment Scores for Individual Students
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

26. Gradebook Views Specific Scores on Each Problem
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

27. Gradebook Views
EVERY answer given on every problem in every assignment
With the ability to see every answer, it is wonderfully easy to help students – even those who you for help the night before the assignment is due! You can login, see the error they have made, and offer specific help…
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

28. Gradebook Views Change credit, extend due dates - instantly
The ability to extend deadlines and adjust points is wonderful – instantly done from anywhere, and it makes a HUGE difference in student satisfaction to make such adjustments quickly.
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

29. Exporting Grades
Easy to export all grades to Excel with a couple of clicks…
As I often have other grades in my lab courses not administered by Mastering, I tend to pull all grades down to my computer to weight and organize. It is possible, however, to keep all grades in mastering, and add categories of other work not done on Mastering to the gradebook, so that students can track their overall scores online.
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

30. Let’s See the System - 3
Illustrating student results with a sample student account in my physics and astronomy classes.
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

31. Familiarity breeds success…
Over time, you will learn to incorporate
New Tutorial Problems with effective hints
Which problems need additional hints
Which problems don’t work as well
New ways to use the system for your classes and students.
Be patient, explore, & experiment!
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

32. You’ll never be the same!

33. I’d share that I use Mastering in two very different types of classes, for very different types of students.
Astronomy Classes (~50 students)
1st-2nd semester non-science, non-math majors
3-unit GE classes with no pre-req’s
Online & On-campus sections
Physics (20 – 50 students)
2nd – 3rd year Science/Engineering Majors
5-unit classes with 4 hours lecture/disc + 3 hours lab
unit schedules + outside jobs

34. Questions? Discussion? Check out a resource list & research
Login to my classes to look around
me with questions!
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

35. Additional Ideas What Results Have I Seen Personally?
What Problems Can Occur?
Caveats & Gotcha’s
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

36. Personal Goals Track student usage easily
Take earlier, positive action
Students obviously struggling
Those working hard, and…
Those hardly working.
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

37. Personal Goals Minimize faculty learning curve
use one system for both disciplines
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

38. Concerns & Criticisms
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

39. Concerns
How much time is required to LEARN the tool on our side…. and,
How much time away from key concepts is really required to teach the tool to the student?
What about teaching students to diagram problems, or explain steps of a solution?
What about Cheating?
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

40. Concerns & Criticisms
“You won’t really know what they are doing wrong without looking at paper HW”
“Some problems don’t lend themselves to computer mediation”
“You spend too much time teaching the tool, not the concepts.”
“The tool is too complex.”
“The grading system makes errors.”
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

41. Caveats, Gotchas, Gremlins
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

42. Caveats, Gotchas, Gremlins
Incorrect Answers can occur
Java Plug-in’s need updating
Pay attention to Units (esp. radians vs. degrees), Significant Figures, Tolerances
Gradebook can be crowded
Using Groups requires manually entering grades for all members.
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

43. Online is not for Everyone
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

44. But on the plus side… More time to focus on teaching
More information to use
More flexibility than textbooks alone
More accessibility
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

45. Using Results
There are great results available graphically for each assignment, providing information on student scores, time, problem difficulty, problem score, and histograms for time and score. Each can be turned on or off as required. I show students the results in general in class, and talk about some of the problems reported generically.
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

46. Results: Overall Data gives me enormous power!
How long do students spend on their HW?
What do they miss?
WHY do they miss it?
Time saved NOT grading gives me enormous potential!
Revised 20+ labs in two years
Revised every lecture
Staying connected with my students!
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017

47. Creating Courses Each class has UNIQUE course ID Shared with students
Make it easier to identify your course
Change “MAHILDRETH35293” to
ASTRO10SPRING2017HILDRETH
Note: Modified Mastering assigns ID automatically!
There are great video clips to get you going, available in the Home page of your course (LEARN MORE)
Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - April 2017