Some subscribers to LRNASST- L might be interested in a recent
discussion-list post "Remediation for Remedial Math" [Hake (2012)].
The abstract reads:
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ABSTRACT: Norman Stahl of the LRNASST-L list has pointed to Mitch
Smith's (2012) "Inside Higher Ed" article "Remediation for Remedial
Math" at <http://bit.ly/JtnbKp>. Smith wrote (paraphrasing; my CAPS):
"Texas appears to be the first state to adopt drastic rethinking of
remedial math in all its community colleges. When the new system,
dubbed Mathways, is fully in place, remedial students who intend on
majoring in a science- or math-based field will still take a
traditional, algebra-based developmental course. BUT OTHER STUDENTS
MIGHT TAKE CLASSES IN STATISTICS OR QUANTITATIVE REASONING, subsets
of math that could prove more relevant to their careers and present
less of a barrier to [those] emerging from remedial education."
In my opinion, the major problem my not be inherent difficulty for
many students of the algebra on which remedial courses concentrate,
but the fact that such courses are ineffectively taught as
passive-student lecture courses. Jerry Epstein's (2007) "Calculus
Concept Inventory" is beginning to show the abysmal ineffectiveness
of standard introductory calculus courses. Similarly an "Algebra
Concept Inventory" might show the same thing for current algebra
courses.
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To access the complete 8 kB post please click on <http://bit.ly/IQoSPw>.
Richard Hake, Emeritus Professor of Physics, Indiana University
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