This seems to be a "universal" problem. My Liberal Arts math students
this semester cannot handle half of the material that a comparable
student could have five years ago. We are not talking the calculus or
even intermediate algebra. The intermediate algebra students are as
bad! Students have even accused me of asking trick questions on exams,
such as:
Write the indicated form of the given conditional. P -> ~Q
a. contrapositive:
b. inverse:
c. converse
It was a trick question because we discussed them in converse, inverse,
contrapositive order.
If you can come up with a solution to the retention question and/or a
way to "smarten up" our students, you'll become a bazillionaire!
Bev Broomell
Associate Professor
Mathematics Department
Suffolk County Community College
Selden, NY 11784
RAYFan@AOL.COM wrote:
>
> Hi all -
>
> I'm new around here. My name is Karen and I'm currently a freeway flyer -
> i.e. I teach part-time at one university and two community colleges. (Whew!)
>
> I've been reading your posts for a couple of days. Considering how you all
> treat potato salad, I'm not sure I'd want to picnic with you....... But I do
> need some advice!
>
> We (my community colleges) are having a serious problem with retention in our
> Beginning and Intermediate Algebra classes! The capabilities (and efforts)
> of these students is dropping rapidly and we want to somehow fix the problem
> - i.e. we need to keep the students in these classes and get them to pass!
>
> I find that the exams I'm giving in Intermediate are the same that I was
> giving a mere three years ago in Beginning........ and the students still
> aren't passing (ok, some of them are -- but half of them are not!)
>
> I definitely don't feel that we should be making these classes easier just to
> accommodate lazy or ill-prepared students........... so I need some ideas!!
>
> 1) I teach in Southern California...... Is everyone out there having this
> problem?
>
> 2) Does anyone have any suggestions for me? (My department is having a big
>
> meeting on this in a couple of weeks and I'd like to take some ideas in
> with me.)
>
> Thanks!
> Karen
> Orange Coast College
> Golden West College
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