Intermediate Algebra as a series of 1-credit courses Sara Taylor Assistant Professor, Mathematics Dutchess Community College

Intermediate Algebra before the big change For many years we had approximately 900 Intermediate Algebra students each year. Lately we have had closer to 500 Intermediate Algebra students each year. In the past, approximately 50% passed the Intermediate Algebra course semester-to-semester (sometimes as low as 40%, rarely as high as 60%).

Intermediate Algebra before the big change Intermediate Algebra “feeds” into 3 courses: 1.College Algebra and Trigonometry for Pre-Calculus (traditional skill-and-drill algebra) 2.College Algebra (mainly for Business majors and Communication majors: mostly applied problems focusing on creating and using models and interpreting math in real-world scenarios) 3.Math for Elementary School Teachers

What we Wanted from a Re-design To increase pass rates and retention. To reduce the negative effects of failing upon students. To help students finish developmental math faster. To help students attempt less credits of developmental math if possible. To continue traditional classroom meetings while using MathXL as a supplement to learning. To “focus” students on the content appropriate for the next math course (each course has different pre-requisite needs).

The Components of “Modularized” Intermediate Algebra Broke the traditional 3-credit course into three 1-credit courses. Each course is pre-requisite for next course. We refer to each 1 credit course as a “module.” Students register for all three modules at the beginning of the semester. Each 1-credit course (we call them modules) is 5 weeks long. Module 1: Weeks 1-5 Module 2: Weeks 6-10 Module 3: Weeks

Each 1-credit module is offered during every 5- week session of the semester. When a student fails, the student’s schedule is changed so that he/she repeats the failed module during the next 5 week session. The Components of “Modularized” Intermediate Algebra

Each 1-credit module is scheduled at the same time of day. This ensures that students can IMMEDIATELY move to next module or repeat a failed module without changing his/her class schedule. Handout page 1Handout page 1 The Components of “Modularized” Intermediate Algebra

The classes take place in a traditional classroom with MathXL homework/quizzes outside of class time (and written homework as well). Each Module instructor sticks to the same day-to- day schedule. Handout page 2Handout page 2 The Components of “Modularized” Intermediate Algebra

What Happens to the “Passers” If a student passes all three modules, then the student moves ahead to college-level math. The students who are successful in this “modularized” Intermediate Algebra move through the course in the same way they did in the traditional course. The only difference is these passing students may experience a change in instructors during the semester.

What Happens to the “Failers” If a student fails a module: o Student’s schedule is automatically adjusted in order to immediately repeat the failed module. o Updated rosters for the next 5 week module are sent to the Registrar’s Office. Students sign a contract on the first day of module 1 acknowledging automatic schedule changes. Handout page 3

If a student stops attending all together, then the student is completely removed from all later modules that semester so that he/she only attempts and fails 1 credit. Our financial aid and scheduling representatives agreed that removing them from all future modules is BETTER for the non- attending student’s financial aid and BETTER for the student’s academic progress even if the student drops below full time status. What Happens to the “Failers” continued…

SusanBobTerryMoe Student Schedule weeks 1-5 Taking Mod 1 Passes Mod1 Earned 1/1 credit! Schedule unchanged Earned 1/1 credits! Mod 2… Mod 3… Taking Mod 1 Passes Mod1 Earned 1/1 credit! Schedule unchanged Earned 1 out of 1 credits! Mod 2… Mod 3… Taking Mod 1 Fails Mod1 Fails 0/1 credit Schedule changed Earned 0 out of 1 credit. Mod 1… Mod 2… Taking Mod 1 Stops attending. Fails 0/1 credit Schedule changed Earned 0 out of 1 credit. Removed from modules. Student Schedule weeks 6-10 Taking Mod 2 Passes Mod 2 Earned 2/2 credits! Schedule unchanged Mod 1 earned credit Mod 2 earned credit Mod 3… Taking Mod 2 Fails Mod 2 Earned 1/2 credits! Schedule changed Mod 1 earned credit Mod 2 failed credit Mod 2… Taking Mod 1 repeat Passes Mod 1 Earned 1/2 credits! Schedule unchanged Mod 1 failed credit Mod 1 earned credit Mod 2… No further math scheduled. Earned 0 out of 1 credit. Student Schedule weeks Taking Mod 3 Passes Mod 3 Earned 3/3 credits! Mod 1 earned credit Mod 2 earned credit Mod 3 earned credit Taking Mod 2 repeat Passes Mod 2 Earned 2/3 credits! Mod 1 earned credit Mod 2 failed credit Mod 2 earned credit Taking Mod 2 first Passes Mod 2 Earned 2/3 credits! Mod 1 failed credit Mod 1 earned credit Mod 2 earned credit No further math scheduled. Earned 0 out of 1 credit.

What Happens to the “Failers” continued… If a student fails module 1 twice in a row, we require them to meet with the department head in order to determine if trying for a third time will be allowed. In general these “two-in-a-row module 1 failers” will not be allowed to repeat module 1 for a third time in the same semester. For now, we are not offering module 1 during the third 5 weeks of the semester.

The Effect of this Change upon the “Failers” What happens to your students who fail the first exam? What happens to your students who stop attending at week 4, week 6, week 10? A module student who fails a module: only fails 1 credit. A module student who stops attending: only fails 1 credit. A student who fails 1 credit still has the POTENTIAL to earn 1 or 2 credits for the semester (instead of failing 3 credits).

The Effect of this Change upon the “Failers”

The Need for the “Strategies for Success in Math” Course Financial Aid WON’T PAY for a course for a 3 rd attempt! Example: 1.Bob signs up for 12 credits (including the modules). 2.Bob fails module 1 during first 5 weeks. 3.Bob fails module 1 again during second 5 weeks. 4.Financial Aid won’t pay for module 1 again. He is now officially “11 credits” by Financial Aid standards!

All full time module students MUST sign up for 13+ credits at the beginning of the semester including Module 1, Module 2, Module 3, Strategies for Success in Math (1 credit) The “Strategies for Success in Math” course takes place ONLY during the 2 nd five weeks of the semester. The Need for the “Strategies for Success in Math” Course

Only the Module 1 failing students take this “Strategies” course while repeating module 1 during the second five weeks. Students who pass module 1 during the first 5 weeks are automatically dropped from the “Strategies” course when they pass module 1. Full time students are therefore guaranteed to remain at 12 credits for the semester even if they fail module 1 twice! The Need for the “Strategies for Success in Math” Course

An added benefit of this “Strategies” course is that ALL module students are forced to “block off” this time-slot in their schedule. This is a blocked-off time that we can guarantee each module student has available (for coming to ask for help, go to the MathLab, review sessions, etc.). The Need for the “Strategies for Success in Math” Course

SusanBobTerryMoe Student Schedule Weeks 1-5 Taking Mod 1 Passes Mod1 Earned 1/1 credit! Schedule Unchanged Taking Mod 1 Passes Mod1 Earned 1/1 credit! Schedule Unchanged Taking Mod 1 Fails Mod1 Fails 0/1 credit Schedule Changed Taking Mod 1 Stops attending. Fails 0/1 credit Schedule Changed Student Schedule Weeks 6-10 Taking Mod 2 Passes Mod 2 Earned 2/2 credits! Schedule Unchanged Does NOT take study skills course during 2 nd 5 weeks. Taking Mod 2 Fails Mod 2 Earned 1/2 credits! Schedule Changed Does NOT take study skills course during 2 nd 5 weeks. Taking Mod 1 repeat Passes Mod 1 Earned 1/2 credits! Schedule Unchanged DOES take Study skills course. No further math scheduled. Earned 0/1 credits. Student Schedule Weeks Taking Mod 3 Passes Mod 3 Earned 3/3 credits! Taking Mod 2 repeat Passes Mod 2 Earned 2/3 credits! Taking Mod 2 first Passes Mod 2 Earned 2/3 credits! Plus 1 credit study skills course credit. No further math scheduled. Earned 0/1 credits.

The Need for the “Strategies for Success in Math” course continued… Two benefits of the Strategies for Success in Math course: 1.Help failing module 1 students be more successful the second time through he course. 2.Ensure financial aid problems don’t occur for failing students.

Changes to the Content of our Intermediate Algebra Course We now do a strong introduction to Exponential Functions (previously this was only optional at the end). The content ORDER of Intermediate Algebra was changed so that mastering one module truly prepares students for success in the next module. Handout page 6Handout page 6 Module 3 content can be “customized” for specific sections: o Math for Elementary School Teachers o Algebra and Trigonometry for Pre-Calculus o College Algebra

The Administrative Problems we Needed to Overcome Scheduling Class Times o Moved modules into MWF 11 am time slot * “Strategies” course at 10 am * All module sections near each other * Scheduled some of the sections in computer rooms (for MathXL learning) o Students sign a contract on the first day of class acknowledging that their schedule may be automatically changed if they fail the module.

Financial Aid Considerations Needed o The Strategies for Success in Math course satisfied the “staying full time” and “paying for a course at most twice” financial aid problems for us in NY. o In the end, this change benefits most of the failing students because they are failing less credits for the semester. Therefore there is less negative effect upon the student’s Financial Aid. The Administrative Problems we Needed to Overcome

Minor Flexibility in Teacher Schedules Needed o Full time instructors may be asked “at the last minute” to teach a section of module 1 instead of module 2, if there is an unexpected number of failers/passers. We haven’t encountered this yet. o We would only change the full time teachers schedules at the last minute, and leave any adjunct instructor with his/her original schedule. Buy-in from Administration The Administrative Problems we Needed to Overcome

The Results So Far…

First semester of modules 41 students in modules at census o 71% of students earned 1 credit or more (attempted 1 or 2 or 3). WOW! o 50% of students earned 2 credits or more (attempted 2 or 3). HOORAY! o 43% of students earned 3 credits o 5% of students earned 0 credits out of 1 credit. o 24% of students earned 0 credits out of 2 credits. Note: some of these SHOULD have been withdrawn entirely in order to fail 0/1. Learning experience for us!

The Results So Far… Second semester of modules 79 students in modules at census o 88.6% of students earned 1 credit or more WOW! o 70.9% of students earned 2 credits or more. HOORAY! o 45.6% of students earned 3 credits. o 8.9% of students earned 0 out of 1 credit. o 1.3% of students earned 0 out of 2 credits. o 1.3% of students earned 0 out of 3 credits.

The Results So Far… Third semester of modules (in progress) 122 students in modules at census o Module 1 pass rate of 75.5% WOW! NOTE: 75.5% of the students have already earned 1 credit or more and this will improve after the 2 nd five weeks. o The Module 2 exam is next week on Monday! We expect around 90% will earn 1 credit or more for the semester!

Improvements we’ve made since starting… Re-arranged some content. Changed policies on who gets their schedule adjusted vs. who gets dropped entirely. Changed “Strategies” course to help the module 1 repeaters get more time on task doing math and APPLYING good study skills (rather than simply reading and writing about them). On day 1 all students meet in one massive section in the Theater. Then they go to sections containing students with similar majors from day 1.

Why you should consider a similar change at your school The students who pass your course now will still pass the course exactly as they did before. The students who fail your course now MAY fail all 3 credits in a semester with this change…but it’s more likely that they would at least get 1 credit!

Please feel free to contact me with any questions: Sara Taylor Dutchess Community College