Digital Approaches to Developmental Mathematics:

Addressing a National Challenge

6/30/11

Rhonda EpperAssistant Provost, Colorado Community College System

Butch GeminEvergreen Education Group

Terri RowenhorstMonterey Institute for Technology and Education

Mathematics: A National Challenge

Source: Final report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel

Funding: $5M from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

$1 M from the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation

Project Audience: Ages 18-80 (average age = 28) Students have failed math at least once

Objectives: Provide learning activities to support an efficient path to credit-bearing

courses

Offer multiple modes of instruction

Support multiple curricular standards

Allow for flexible course configurations with a collection of learning objects

Leverage the power of digital media

Project Goal: Increase the number of financially-disadvantaged students that pass developmental math as a bridge to a college education

NROC Developmental Math―An Open Program

Scope of the research effortScope of the research effort

Research development math conditions and challenges

National advisory panel of educators

Conducted over 60 focus groups and roundtable discussions

More than 570 students, instructors, and administrators

Representatives from than150 academic institutions in 32 states

Pilot testing of courses in a variety of instructional formats

Anne Arundel Community CollegeArapahoe Community CollegeBaltimore City Community CollegeBates Technical CollegeBellevue Community CollegeBlack Hawk CollegeBrookhaven College Bronx Community CollegeBroward Community CollegeCascadia Community CollegeChattanooga State Community CollegeCity Colleges of Chicago DistrictCleveland State Community CollegeClover Park Tech CollegeCoastline Community CollegeColorado Community Colleges OnlineColumbia State Community CollegeCommunity College of AuroraCommunity College of Baltimore County Community College of DenverCommunity College of PhiladelphiaCommunity College of Southern NevadaCornish College Cuyahoga Community CollegeCuyamaca CollegeDaley CollegeDe Anza CollegeDes Moines Area Community CollegeDurham Technical and Community CollegeEastfield CollegeEdmonds Community CollegeEl Centro CollegeFront Range Community CollegeGreen River Community College

Anne Arundel Community CollegeArapahoe Community CollegeBaltimore City Community CollegeBates Technical CollegeBellevue Community CollegeBlack Hawk CollegeBrookhaven College Bronx Community CollegeBroward Community CollegeCascadia Community CollegeChattanooga State Community CollegeCity Colleges of Chicago DistrictCleveland State Community CollegeClover Park Tech CollegeCoastline Community CollegeColorado Community Colleges OnlineColumbia State Community CollegeCommunity College of AuroraCommunity College of Baltimore County Community College of DenverCommunity College of PhiladelphiaCommunity College of Southern NevadaCornish College Cuyahoga Community CollegeCuyamaca CollegeDaley CollegeDe Anza CollegeDes Moines Area Community CollegeDurham Technical and Community CollegeEastfield CollegeEdmonds Community CollegeEl Centro CollegeFront Range Community CollegeGreen River Community College

Grossmont CollegeHarold Washington CollegeHighline Community CollegeHoward Community CollegeHudson Valley Community CollegeIndian Hills Community CollegeIowa Community College Online ConsortiumIowa Department of EducationIowa Lakes Community CollegeIowa Western Community CollegeJohnson County Community CollegeKankakee Community CollegeKennedy-King CollegeKirkwood Community CollegeLake Washington Technical CollegeLakeshore Technical CollegeLamar Community CollegeLuzerne County Community CollegeMalcolm X CollegeMesa Community CollegeMiddle Tennessee State UniversityMontgomery CollegeMorgan Community CollegeMotlow State Community CollegeNashville State Tech Community CollegeNorth Seattle Community CollegeNortheast Wisconsin Technical CollegeNortheastern Junior CollegeNorthwest Iowa Community CollegeOklahoma City Community CollegeOmaha Public SchoolsOtero Junior CollegePellissippi State Community CollegePennsylvania Highlands CCPierce College

Pikes Peak Community CollegePima Community CollegePortland Community CollegePrairie State CollegePrince George's Community CollegePueblo Community CollegeQueensborough Community CollegeRed Rocks Community CollegeRenton Technical CollegeRichland CollegeSan Diego City CollegeSan Diego Community College DistrictSan Diego Mesa CollegeSan Diego Miramar CollegeSan Jacinto CollegeSauk Valley Community CollegeSeattle Central Community CollegeSinclair Community CollegeSouth Seattle Community CollegeSouth Texas CollegeSouthwestern CollegeSouthwestern Community CollegeTacoma Community CollegeTarrant County College - NorthwestTarrant County College – SouthTennessee Board of RegentsTennessee Department of EducationTruman CollegeThomas Nelson Community CollegeTrinidad State Junior CollegeTulsa Community CollegeUnion County CollegeVolunteer State Community CollegeWright College

Faculty, administrator, and student focus groups

Input from across the country

04/12/23 5Math Orientation - Internal

Goals of the focus groupsGoals of the focus groups

Administrator and Faculty

Determine shortcomings of existing teaching materials

Better understand administrator and faculty use cases

Feedback for product in development

Better understand assessment

Determine best approach in providing professional development

Develop pilot sites and interest

Goals of the focus groupsGoals of the focus groups

Students

Determine what digital learning materials students are using

Better understand student use cases

Feedback for product in development

Identify barriers for progressing through developmental math

Professional development is essential for supporting teacher success

Few instructors and institutions are satisfied with existing methods or digital options

Existing digital products: too expensive inflexible curricula proprietary management system

High value placed on flexibility, affordability, multiple pathways for learners

Administrators and FacultyAdministrators and Faculty

Focus Group Key FindingsFocus Group Key Findings

Keep it simple: struggling students and English language learners value simplicity

Real-world examples and application are a key to engagement

Puzzles, animations, simple illustrations, and problem sets are important

Humor, esoteric example, and idioms trip-up or confuse struggling students especially English Language Learners

Students appreciate and identify with the presenters and real work examples

StudentsStudents

Focus Group Key FindingsFocus Group Key Findings

Research Focus Groups/Pilots

Technology &

Engineering

Professional Development

Curriculum

Feedback Impact on DevelopmentFeedback Impact on Development

Product Design

Review the Details in the ReportReview the Details in the Report

Focus Group ReportFocus Group Report

Download it under Project News at:Download it under Project News at:

Administrators, Instructors, Students

1.Questionnaires

2.Interviews in use – on-site and online

3.Performance Data

Administrators, Instructors, Students

1.Questionnaires

2.Interviews in use – on-site and online

3.Performance Data

NROC Research Pilot ProgramNROC Research Pilot Program

Case study approach evaluates student

Attitude

Persistence

Competence

Pilots: Case Study Approach

Goals:To gather data on course completion and competence by class, compared to traditional models, in order to evaluative the relative efficacy of the materials

To outline the details of diverse use cases as models to be shared with others implementing new approaches.

A Unique Project Among Open Educational Resources

• Quality

• Curricular

• Adaptable

• Sustainable

www.montereyinstitute.org/nroc

Questions for the presenters?

Rhonda EpperAssistant Provost, Colorado Community College System

Butch GeminEvergreen Education Group

Terri RowenhorstMonterey Institute for Technology and Education

Thanks for your attention and interest!