A free, widely available online math course being developed by the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse could dramatically reduce the need for students to take remedial math when they start college and put them on a faster, less expensive track to graduation, the UW System announced this week.
It also could better position the state to meet the needs of employers who have difficulty finding employees with adequate basic math skills, as the course would be available to people of all ages - literally anyone with an Internet connection.
An increasing number of freshmen in the UW System need remedial math when they start college, according to UW officials. As of 2007 - the latest data available - 21% of UW System freshmen did not have the necessary skills to succeed in college-level math. Among minority students, the percentage is significantly higher (40%).
Nationally, about 25% of high school graduates require remedial math in college.
That puts them at risk of not graduating, or of taking longer to finish a college degree, increasing the cost of their education, UW officials say.
Only about 45% of incoming freshmen in the UW System who need remedial math instruction complete the requirement. But those who do go on to finish college degrees in large numbers, UW officials said.
Learning math takes time, according to math educators.
But if you learned the skills in the past and are just rusty, relearning happens relatively quickly, said project leader Robert Hoar, a UW-La Crosse mathematics professor and interim associate vice chancellor for academic affairs.
"In the course, we cover it as if it was new," Hoar said Thursday. "Virtually everybody with a traditional path through high school has already seen it, but maybe not recently. If the majority of this is something you've seen before, you can pick up new skills at this pace, too."
Students can choose to either take the course at their own pace or follow a traditional pace with an instructor who offers daily video lectures and assignments, he said.
What's a MOOC?
A $50,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will help the new UW-La Crosse design the MOOC - a massive open online course that's part of a growing niche in the online education market.
Traditional online courses charge tuition, carry credit and limit enrollment to allow interaction with instructors. A MOOC is usually free, earns no credits toward a degree and allows students of all ages to learn and acquire skills without paying tuition. Hundreds can take the course at the same time. Because a MOOC is so large, faculty can't respond to students individually, so the way the material is presented and its interactivity are key. A MOOC typically uses written materials and short video lectures with pauses for quizzes to make sure the material is understood. Students frequently interact online with others taking the class.
The free six-week MOOC math course being developed at UW-La Crosse will be different from most MOOCs because tutors from UW-La Crosse will be available to students online, Hoar said.
The course will be useful for both high school students wanting to make sure they're ready for college math and for older, nontraditional students who want to brush up on math skills to return to college or advance career goals, he said. A person taking the course doesn't register as a college student.
At UW-Milwaukee, 44% of new freshmen this fall required remedial math, according to Chancellor Michael Lovell, who spoke about his concerns last week at a UW System Board of Regents meeting. Lovell raised the issue during a discussion about positioning the UW System as an engine for economic development.
"Unless we can solve the math problem we have in this state, we're never going to get past this," Lovell told the regents. "We have to get students math-ready."
The skills and concepts covered in the new online math course are found on key gateway exams, including the ACT, SAT and college placement exams. The course content was developed to align with many of the Common Core State Standards needed for college readiness, according to Jennifer Kosiak, a professor of mathematics education at UW-La Crosse.
Success in trial run
The concept has been tested with promising results, UW System officials said.
Using start-up funding provided by the UW System, UW-La Crosse launched a "fast track" pilot program in July involving 38 students whose test scores on the state's college math placement test showed a need for developmental math instruction.
After the six-week online course, participants' scores on the math placement exams increased significantly, Hoar said Thursday.
All but one improved to the point where they could enter college-level math and science courses.
The award from the Gates Foundation will help project leaders prepare for the large number of students the new online math course is intended to support.
To study the effectiveness of the learning format, the course development team will work with a partner, Desire2Learn, to design a high-quality student experience and to ensure that useful analytical data is collected.
"For many first-generation college students and those from lower-income families, the need to repeat high school-level work in remedial courses is unnecessarily frustrating and demoralizing," Hoar said.
"Even when they persist, those extra classes cost time and money," he said. "While most (Massive Open Online Courses) available today cover the kind of information you'd find in upper-level courses, we believe this teaching-and-learning model can help many students prepare for and succeed in general education math classes, which are required by every major or program."
Another goal is to help Wisconsin create a stronger workforce, said Mark Nook, senior vice president for academic and student affairs at the UW System.
"Math skills are a key ingredient to success in college and in work. Many students who have the drive to earn their UW degree are just missing that one piece of math confidence and this can help," Nook said.
Details on basic math class
For more information on the free new online math class, or to preregister, go to: www.uwlax.edu/MathMOOC