Your search found 1094 results.

Descriptors:
Remedial Mathematics; Two Year College Students; Community Colleges; Dropouts; Academic Achievement; Vocational Education; Certification; Declining Enrollment; College Mathematics

Abstract:
Nationally, a majority of community college students require remedial assistance with mathematics, but comparatively few students who begin the remedial math sequence ultimately complete it and achieve college-level math competency. The academic outcomes of students who begin the sequence but do not complete it are disproportionately unfavorable: most students depart from the community college without a credential and without transferring to a four-year institution. Interestingly, however, many of these students continue to attend the community college after they exit the remedial math sequence, sometimes for an extended period. One is led to ask why students who do not complete the sequence generally are not finding their way to an alternative credential objective that does not require college-level math competency, such as a career and technical education certificate, sometimes referred to as a vocational certificate. In this study, I explore three possible answers to this question, including difficulty navigating to the alternative credential, declining participation in the community college, and declining academic performance. I find that all three of these explanations contribute (to varying degrees) to explaining the low rate of certificate completion among remedial math students who do not achieve college-level math competency. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

Related Items: Show Related Items

Full-Text Availability Options:

More Info:
Help | Tutorial Help Finding Full Text |  More Info:
Help Find in a Library |  Publisher's website

Descriptors:
Foreign Countries; Mathematics Achievement; Peer Relationship; Cooperative Learning; Gender Differences; Equal Education; Instructional Effectiveness; Academic Ability; Student Diversity; Low Achievement; Learning Disabilities; Program Effectiveness; Experimental Groups; Control Groups; Educational Research; Secondary School Students; Remedial Mathematics

Abstract:
This study investigated gender differences in the effect of PAL (peer-assisted learning) on students' mathematics performance in Enugu State of Nigeria. It used pre-test and post-test non-randomized control group design. Four research questions and four hypotheses guided the study. The population was SS II (senior secondary school class II) students in the state. The sample consisted of 597 students: 342 male and 255 female students. Multi-stage random sampling and purposive sampling were used at different stages. Subjects were marched 1:1--high achiever: low achiever. Treatment consisted of one term of PAL which commenced after orientation to both students and guidance counselors who monitored them. Pre-test and post-test scores were obtained from school records. Students' grades in mathematics were obtained in the term preceding the PAL term and at the end of the PAL term. Data were analyzed using means and t-test. Findings show that PAL was effective in enhancing the mathematics performance of all male and female LAS (low achieving students) but did not improve the performance of female HAS (high achieving students). The results were discussed and one of the recommendations made was that PAL be taught to student teachers on training and teachers during in-service training so that they can acquire the knowledge and use it to improve academic performance of children with specific learning disabilities, LAS as well as HAS. (Contains 8 tables.) [This research was supported in part by the Nigeria National Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC).] Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

Related Items: Show Related Items

Full-Text Availability Options:

 ERIC Full Text (58K) |  More Info:
Help Find in a Library

Descriptors:
Decision Making; Remedial Mathematics; Risk; Theories; Goal Orientation; Success; Mathematical Formulas; Testing; Failure; Task Analysis; Preferences; Organizational Objectives

Abstract:
The tri-reference point (TRP) theory takes into account minimum requirements (MR), the status quo (SQ), and goals (G) in decision making under risk. The 3 reference points demarcate risky outcomes and risk perception into 4 functional regions: success (expected value of x greater than or equal to G), gain (SQ less than x less than G), loss (MR less than or equal to x less than SQ), and failure (x less than MR). The psychological impact of achieving or failing to achieve these reference points is rank ordered as MR greater than G greater than SQ. We present TRP assumptions and value functions and a mathematical formalization of the theory. We conducted empirical tests of crucial TRP predictions using both explicit and implicit reference points. We show that decision makers consider both G and MR and give greater weight to MR than G, indicating failure aversion (i.e., the disutility of a failure is greater than the utility of a success in the same task) in addition to loss aversion (i.e., the disutility of a loss is greater than the utility of the same amount of gain). Captured by a double-S shaped value function with 3 inflection points, risk preferences switched between risk seeking and risk aversion when the distribution of a gamble straddled a different reference point. The existence of MR (not G) significantly shifted choice preference toward risk aversion even when the outcome distribution of a gamble was well above the MR. Single reference point based models such as prospect theory cannot consistently account for these findings. The TRP theory provides simple guidelines for evaluating risky choices for individuals and organizational management. (Contains 6 figures, 6 tables and 7 footnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

Related Items: Show Related Items

Full-Text Availability Options:

More Info:
Help | Tutorial Help Finding Full Text |  More Info:
Help Find in a Library |  Publisher's website

Descriptors:
Foreign Countries; Mathematics Achievement; Mathematics Skills; Remedial Mathematics; Learner Engagement; Online Courses; Diagnostic Tests; Web Based Instruction; Classroom Techniques; Instructional Design; Mathematics Instruction; Mathematics Tests; College Instruction; College Freshmen; Instructional Effectiveness

Abstract:
In the National University of Ireland Maynooth, in-coming first-year mathematics students are given a diagnostic test. The purpose of this test is to measure their basic knowledge and manipulation skills in mathematics. Those who fail this test are deemed at risk of failing their mathematics modules and are enrolled in a supplementary online mathematics proficiency course. In this article, we give a brief overview of the development of this course. We focus on the issue of student engagement with the course and the steps we have taken to address their levels of engagement; in particular, we have monitored student activity in the online course and contacted students whose engagement levels were low. We also present an analysis of the impact of this course on students' overall grades. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

Related Items: Show Related Items

Full-Text Availability Options:

More Info:
Help | Tutorial Help Finding Full Text |  More Info:
Help Find in a Library |  Publisher's website

Descriptors:
Electronic Learning; Instructional Design; Online Courses; Web Based Instruction; Intelligent Tutoring Systems; Guidelines; Change Agents; Student Motivation; Remedial Mathematics; Affective Behavior; Psychological Patterns; Design Requirements; Motivation Techniques; Mathematics Instruction

Abstract:
In this paper, guidelines for designing virtual change agents (VCAs) are proposed to support students' affective and motivational needs in order to promote personalized learning in online remedial mathematics courses. Automated, dynamic, and personalized support is emphasized in the guidelines through maximizing "interactions" between VCAs and individual students. The strategies that VCAs convey throughout the interactions are constructed to support emotion regulation and motivation based on theories and prior research on emotions and motivation. The availability and customizability of VCAs enable the strategies to be implemented in real-time and customized for individual students. Implications of the design guidelines for personalized, online learning contexts are discussed and future research directions are recommended as well. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

Related Items: Show Related Items

Full-Text Availability Options:

More Info:
Help | Tutorial Help Finding Full Text |  More Info:
Help Find in a Library |  Publisher's website

Descriptors:
Community Colleges; Course Selection (Students); Competence; Remedial Instruction; Remedial Mathematics; Remedial Programs; Writing Instruction; Academic Persistence; School Holding Power; Mathematics Skills; Skill Development; Writing Skills; Student Attrition; Withdrawal (Education); Academic Achievement; Two Year College Students; Outcomes of Education

Abstract:
Each year, a sizeable percentage of community college students enroll in remedial coursework to address skill deficiencies in math, writing, and/or reading. Unfortunately, the majority of these students do not attain college-level competency in the subjects in which they require remedial assistance. Moreover, students whose point of entry into the remedial sequence is at the lower end of the hierarchy of skill suffer the lowest rates of attainment by far. Yet, to date, we do not understand fully why students who begin at the lower end of the remedial sequence are so much less likely than are students who begin at the higher end to attain college-level competency. The purpose of this study is to illuminate the junctures in the remedial sequences in math and writing at which meaningful attrition of students is occurring and, in particular, the junctures at which "low-skill" remedial students suffer differential attrition relative to "high-skill" remedial students. To accomplish this end, I use data that address students in California's community colleges to examine three ways of characterizing and explaining the differential in college-level skill attainment between low- and high-skill remedial math students and, separately, between low- and high-skill remedial writing students. The three characterizations include nonspecific attrition, skill-specific attrition, and course-specific attrition. I find that each of these characterizations contributes to explaining the differential in college-level skill attainment between low- and high-skill remedial students. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

Related Items: Show Related Items

Full-Text Availability Options:

More Info:
Help | Tutorial Help Finding Full Text |  More Info:
Help Find in a Library |  Publisher's website

Descriptors:
College Readiness; College Preparation; Student Placement; Remedial Instruction; Developmental Studies Programs; Community Colleges; Remedial Mathematics; Grants; Private Colleges

Abstract:
Why is "remedial" or "developmental" education such a hot issue? Partly because it costs time and money and casts doubt on the elementary and secondary education systems that we assume will prepare students for college. The New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) explored solutions to the problem at a recent forum in Kennebunkport, Maine, called "Ready for Real: Innovative Strategies for Improving Remedial Education and College Success." NEBHE staff briefed the audience of educators, legislators, and policymakers on the recent Lumina Foundation for Education grant the regional organization received to support community colleges implementing Khan Academy materials in developmental math courses. NEBHE also released a policy brief outlining college placement policies across the region and models for boosting college readiness. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

Related Items: Show Related Items

Full-Text Availability Options:

More Info:
Help | Tutorial Help Finding Full Text |  More Info:
Help Find in a Library |  Publisher's website

Descriptors:
Early Intervention; Numeracy; Comparative Analysis; Short Term Memory; Pretests Posttests; Predictor Variables; Mathematics Achievement; Remedial Mathematics; Low Achievement; Program Effectiveness; Foreign Countries

Abstract:
Early numeracy in kindergarten has proven to be a strong predictor of mathematical achievement. The aims of this study were to test the effectiveness of a remedial numeracy program for children who were low performing and to evaluate the role of visual and verbal working memory in the development of numeracy. The study included 196 kindergartners. Children with a pretest numeracy score falling below the 50th percentile were matched and randomly assigned to an intervention group and a control group. The intervention group obtained meaningful and statistically significantly higher adjusted outcome numeracy scores at the posttest stage than did the control group. This result, however, was not found among the group of children falling below the 25th percentile at the pretest stage. Verbal working memory, but not visual working memory, might best account for differences in the growth measured within the intervention group. (Contains 7 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

Related Items: Show Related Items

Full-Text Availability Options:

More Info:
Help | Tutorial Help Finding Full Text |  More Info:
Help Find in a Library |  Publisher's website

Descriptors:
Courseware; Algebra; Mathematics Instruction; Outcomes of Education; Multimedia Instruction; Multimedia Materials; Remedial Mathematics; High School Students; Case Studies; Pilot Projects; Instructional Design; Educational Technology; Electronic Learning; Distance Education; Open Source Technology; Web Based Instruction; Online Courses; College Instruction; Instructional Effectiveness; Course Evaluation; Developmental Studies Programs

Abstract:
Less than half of the students in the United States graduate from high school and are ready to take college-level math courses. Many years and varieties of remedial math programs have failed to dramatically improve outcomes, especially at scale. The question we face is whether technology in general, and open educational resources in particular, might offer some solutions for improving math scores across the nation. Herein, we describe the work of the Monterey Institute for Technology and Education, and specifically the design and early evidence of impact of their multimedia Algebra and Developmental Math resources. We believe that the structure and function of these open educational resources can effectively meet the diverse needs of the nation's math teachers and learners, perhaps paving the way to more personalized teaching and learning practices. (Contains 2 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

Related Items: Show Related Items

Full-Text Availability Options:

 ERIC Full Text (667K) |  More Info:
Help Find in a Library |  Publisher's website

Descriptors:
Academic Achievement; Teaching Methods; Foreign Countries; Community Colleges; Mathematics Skills; Mathematics Education; Remedial Mathematics; Models; Problem Solving; Retention (Psychology); Two Year College Students

Abstract:
During the last 20 years, there has been an increasing awareness that the U.S. is falling behind in its mathematics education of primary and secondary school students. For those who teach mathematics at the community college level, the deficiencies in mathematics education are painfully evident by the number of students requiring remedial math courses. During the past decade, Singapore has been among the top-performing countries in the world in mathematics education according to the "Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study" (TIMSS) and "The Program for International Student Assessment" (PISA) reports. However, Singapore has not always been a top-ranked country. Rather, it has demonstrated a marked improvement in ranking over the past two decades as the result of a total reevaluation of its mathematics instruction program in the 1980s. Because of Singapore's success, some U.S. schools have adopted Singapore's approach to teaching mathematics. The International Education subcommittee of the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC) contend that lessons learned in high-performing countries might be applied to improve math-skill retention of community college students taking remedial mathematics courses in preparation for college-level mathematics. Although there are several factors contributing to the success of Singapore's mathematics education system, the main focus of this article is on their primary school curriculum, which is based on problem-solving through visualization and model-drawing strategies. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

Related Items: Show Related Items

Full-Text Availability Options:

More Info:
Help | Tutorial Help Finding Full Text |  More Info:
Help Find in a Library |  Publisher's website