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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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%

8. Participants in action…

9. 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+)

10. 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

11. 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

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

13. Final group photo

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