A couple of years ago, we did some comparative statistics and found that
students coming from the high schools and placing into any particular class
(Beg Algebra, Int. Alg, Col Alg) had comparable success (or fail rates) as
students who passed the prerequisite courses in our own system. This study
was done over several semester and all three of our colleges. There was
about a 50% success rate across the board--every college, every class. In
the few isolated cases where there was a significant difference between
students who placed in from the outside and students who tracked through our
system, the outsiders won.
Unfortunately, we mostly define our curriculum as a litany of memorized
procedures and word problems that justify the procedure just taught. Where
is the challenge? The word problems are contrived and over
simplified--because most of our procedures do not lend themselves to real
life or science applications--and a student can pass a class by memorizing
how to do 70% of each procedure. Due to partial credit and the general way
we do things, students can make an A or B in many math classes and think
that the answer to "Factor x^2 - x - 6" is "x = 3 or x = 2".
Martha
-----Original Message-----
From: Beverly Broomell <broomeb@sunysuffolk.edu>
To: 'mathedcc@archives.math.utk.edu' <mathedcc@archives.math.utk.edu>
Date: Friday, November 20, 1998 7:34 AM
Subject: [MATHEDCC] A lengthy comment about student preparation
Fifteen years ago, I taught for a year at a local junior high school. I had
taught 8
years at the secondary level (DE) and substituted in this school for three
years. I
had been away from the secondary level 6 years (teaching 1 yr at a MD
college
and 4.5 yrs as an adjunct at two NY colleges).
I went into the position feeling that I could make a difference in the
education of
the students. To make a long story short, I had nineth graders' parents
complaining that I was "going too fast -- my child will not pass the Regents
Exam" and I was "going too slow -- my child will not pass the Regents Exam."
These complaints were about the same class! I had a 35% failure rate
because I
did not teach the exam! I was obviously a BAD teacher.
Four or five years later, I saw some of the same students in my
developmental
classes! Every one of them said that they should have listened to me about
learning then material rather than memorizing to pass the Regents.
Today's world (as perceived by many) is made up of problems which can be
resolved in 30 minutes, if humorous, or 1-2 hours if serious. Nothing seems
to
take time -- the time needed to develop ownership of the material (not only
mathematics).
Who's to blame?????? Everybody and nobody!
A too long response to a frustrating situation,
Bev
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beverly R. Broomell Voice: (516)451-4732
Professor FAX: (516)451-4887
Mathematics Department
Suffolk County Community College
533 College Road
Selden NY 11784
http://www.sunysuffolk.edu/~broomeb/
"Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test
first, the lesson afterwards." - Vernon Sanders Law
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