Re: beg/inter algebra
Daniel Russow (aw_russow@ROCKY.AWC.CC.AZ.US)
Wed, 25 Sep 1996 16:20:37 +0000
>I am hopeful that some members of this list may be able to answer
>some questions that I have about offering a class, combined
>beg/inter algebra, two semesters long. Each semester would cover
>fewer topics and there would be little overlap, using a single text
>book. We are discussing this posibility in our department.
>Here are some of my questions.
>
>What prompted you to offer such a course?
At Arizona Western College, we were ( and still are) offering a 3 unit
Beginning Algebra course and a 3 unit Intermediate Algebra course. Our
administration would not support increasing the number of credit hours for
either of these courses. Our faculty was having a difficult time getting
through all of the material. The combined course eliminates all of the
overlap and hence gives the instructors more time to present material and
experiment with different learning platforms (i.e. technology, group work,
etc).
>
>What level of support did you have in your department?
We have full support from the department. You only needed to teach one of
the old three unit courses to see that something needed to be done. Most
colleges offer 4 and/or 5 unit Beg. and Int. Alg. courses.
>
>Did you begin this type of course offering as a pilot or was it
>offered for all classes?
We offer it for all classes. There were changes that needed to be made
through the curriculum committee and changes made in course descriptions so
we needed to be consistent across the board.
>
>How did you place your students?
After careful investigations with our current testing system, we needed to
make no changes with our current placement program. All of the indicators
on the test were consistent with the level that our students needed to be
in order to place into the Intermediate Algebra. There is really no problem
with placing into Beginning Algebra.
>
>Have you done any tracking of your students in college algebra?
We are in our first semester of the combined course but we will begin
tracking in the fall of next year, when the first students, having
completed the combined course, will enter College Algebra.
>
>Did you encounter any problems?
There were none at first. We will know more by the end of the semester and
even more by the end of the year.
>
>What text did you use?
Gustafson & Frisk's " Beginning and Intermediate Algebra, a Combined
Approach", 1996, Brooks/Cole. We chose this text so that we did not have to
make graphing calculators mandatory. Our students can not afford to
purchase them. We still bring in sets of graphing calculators for use in
the classroom, however.
If you would like, I could send you a copy of the proposal that I presented
to our faculty and administration. I received an in-house grant to work on
this during the summer of 1995.
>
>I f you could any of these questions or provide any other
>informationI would be very grateful.
>
>Dorrit O'Hallaron
>St. Charles County Comm. College
>St. Peters, Mo.
>
>e-mail dohallaron@CHUCK.stchas.edu
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Daniel Russow Phone:(520) 344-7784
Department of Mathematics Fax: (520) 344-7730
Arizona Western College email: drussow@awc.cc.az.us
P.O. Box 929 URL: http://198.60.183.17
Yuma, AZ 85366-0929
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