Re: [MATHEDCC] Retention of students in Algebra
Wayne Mackey (wmackey@COMP.UARK.EDU)
Fri, 11 Apr 1997 12:45:14 -0600
>I wish I had some answers. We are having the same problem. I wonder if it
>is not time to rethink developmental education--from content to class
>structure--to possible stronger connections to reading and writing. Many
>of our developmental math students are also very poor readers and writers.
>
>Martha
AMEN! We instituted on-line testing for beginning and intermediate algebra
students this year. Because of the nature of testing on the computer we
asked more specific questions rather than just stating a problem and
letting the student write whatever they think of. On our tests students
must not only work the problem but be able to answer questions about the
answers they got. Amazingly enough they don't have a clue about what they
got. One student on the last test, when asked to simplify an expression
gave the answer -5/14. The correct answer was 14x + 5. Of course, what he
did was create an equation and solve it but what was significant to me was
that he was very indignant about not getting credit since he got the right
numbers. I suggest that we start asking questions instead of stating
problems on all our tests and don't give them credit for working the
problem unless they understand what they got. They can learn if they have
to so its up to us to make it so that they have to.
Wayne F. Mackey
Director, Math Resource Center
University of Arkansas
P.O. Box 2441
Fayetteville, AR 72702
(501) 575-7661
(501) 582-3764
wmackey@comp.uark.edu
http://comp.uark.edu/~wmackey
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