Redefining Developmental Math for Non-Algebra Core Math  Courses

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Redefining Developmental Math for Non-Algebra Core Math Courses

Dr. Daryl Stephens

(stephen@etsu.edu)

Murray Butler

(butlern@etsu.edu)

East Tennessee State University

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Disclaimers

We don’t have all the answers.

We don’t even have all the questions!

Your mileage may vary. (It may be that nothing in this presentation will apply to your institution’s situation.)

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ETSU’s Situation

(Here’s where your mileage may vary.)

About 90% of our students do NOT take an algebra-based course (such as college algebra, precalculus, calculus) for graduation. These students take MATH 1530, Probability and Statistics, as their core math class.

Very little intermediate algebra is used in this course.

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ETSU’s Situation

Mostly majors in math and the sciences take something other than prob & stat for graduation, and they are required to take one semester of calculus. (Digital media majors take both P&S and trig.) These students benefit from intermediate algebra.

NSTCC and WSCC are affected by ETSU’s decisions.

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Our Redesign Proposal

What did we think we would do?

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Our Redesign Proposal (Briefly)

Re-vamp DSPM 0800 to make it a better preparation for statistics

Delete DSPM 0850 requirement for students not taking precalculus or other algebra-based courses

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Same Topics, New Sequence

What concepts do the statisticians think the incoming student need?

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Emphasize

Order of operation, especially distributive property, even when using a calculator

Comparing (order) fractions, decimals, percents, and signed numbers

Interpret numerical answer—(what does it mean?)

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Continued

Estimation: does the answer make sense?

Percent, proportions, decimals

Solving and graphing linear equations

The language of inequalities

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Our Proposal – Technology

Use My Math Lab, Hawkes Learning, or similar programs with both courses

Alternate days between lecture classroom and computer lab as is done with statistics course