Subject: Re: one day per week classes
From: Bruce Yoshiwara (byoshiwara@hotmail.com)
Date: Wed Sep 06 2000 - 22:39:40 EDT
A related issue:
My school just switched from a 17 week semester + 1.5 weeks of final exams
to 15 week semester + 1 week of finals. (The total number of contact hours
remains constant because we lengthen each meeting time.) The main reason
was to attract more students, but a justification was that Santa Monica
College evidently has some numbers showing that students do better in
shorter term classes.
I believe the numbers indicate that students receive higher grades in short
term courses, in particular in the 5-6 week courses given in summer and
inter-sessions. I have suspicions about whether the populations being
compared are genuinely equivalent, but mostly I can't help but suspect that
the instructors have lowered their expectations. (Do literature classes
assign the same quantity of reading in shorter semesters?)
Bruce Yoshiwara
Los Angeles Pierce College
>From: "Martha Haehl" <haehl@kcmetro.cc.mo.us>
>To: "Todd Timmons" <ttimmons@systema.westark.edu>,
><mathedcc@archives.math.utk.edu>
>Subject: Re: one day per week classes
>Date: Wed, 6 Sep 2000 17:32:39 -0500
>
>Todd,
>
>Let me know what you find out. It seems like a few years ago our district
>stats office said there was no difference in the success rate (defined by
>grades) in the 1 night a week format vs. 2. In general our math faculty
>did
>not think the 1 night a week format was as good--however, in general our
>math faculty lectured for 2.5 hours those nights.
>
>I've taught classes that were scheduled for 2 - 3 hours a night that met
>twice a week. With the interactive strategies I use, I like the longer
>class. My most recent experience was tech math and I only had one drop and
>no F's or D's--however, my students were a cohort of students in
>apprenticeship programs--very hard-working and motivated--there all of the
>time, did homework, etc.
>
>Martha
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Todd Timmons <ttimmons@systema.westark.edu>
>To: <mathedcc@archives.math.utk.edu>
>Sent: Tuesday, September 05, 2000 5:29 PM
>Subject: one day per week classes
>
>
> > Does anyone know of any research on mathematics courses that
> > meet one day per week instead of the traditional 2 or 3? In
> > particular, I am talking about a three hour college algebra course
> > that meets for 3 hours one time per week for a semester. I am
> > interested if anyone had experience with this format, and especially
> > if any studies have been made.
> >
> > Thanks
> > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> >
> > Todd Timmons
> > Westark College
> > 5210 Grand Ave.
> > Box 3649
> > Fort Smith, AR 72913-3649
> > 501-788-7630
> > ttimmons@systema.westark.edu
> >
> > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> >
> >
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