an evaluation of students’ experiences in technology-based courses in mathematics and statistics

Karsten Schmidt: Students’ Experiences in Technology-based Courses in Maths & Stats1

An Evaluation of Students’ Experiences in Technology-based

Courses in Mathematics and Statistics


Background

• University of Applied Sciences (FH) Schmalkalden– Established in 1991– 5 Faculties– 3,000 students

• Faculty of Business and Economics– Established in 1992– 4 Bachelor programs– 1 Master program (English)– 600 students


History of Matrix Algebra course

• Until 2001– Regular classroom (2 groups of up to 70 students)– Blackboard & overhead projector; pocket calculators

• 2002– In PC lab: 2 of 15 weeks

• 2003 - 2004– In PC lab: every other week (4 groups ≤ 40)

• Since 2005– In PC lab only (3 groups ≤ 40)


History of Intermediate Statistics course

• Until 2001– Regular classroom (2 groups of up to 70 students)– Blackboard & overhead projector; pocket calculators

• 2002– In PC lab: every other week (4 groups ≤ 40)

• 2003– In PC lab: 12 of 26 lectures (3 groups ≤ 54)

• Since 2004– In PC lab only (3 groups ≤ 40)

General Design of Bachelor Programs



Questionnaire Survey 09A (part 1)

.

Questionnaire Survey 09A (part 2)


Overall averages for statements (Survey 09A)

Stmt. No.

Statement N=96

S1 Working with Derive is no big problem for me

4,5

S2 Derive allows more vivid problem solving

4,1

S3 Derive helps me to avoid mistakes

4,8

S4 I can work faster when using Derive

4,9

S6 Derive makes me feel more confident when solving problems

4,6

S7 I use Derive to check results 4,3 S5 I “voluntarily” use Derive for other

courses too1,8

S8 I like mathematics and statistics 3,0


Frequency distribution of responses to statement S8 (Survey 09A)

definitelytrue …

definitelynot

true

8. I like mathematics and statistics. 6 5 4 3 2 1

8 14 13 16 28 17


Students’ attitudes towards technology (Survey 09A)


Frequency distribution of responses to last question in questionnaire (Survey 09A)

Please turn this questionnaire over to find your result (as percentage of total points) in the “Matrix Algebra” part of the “Mathematics II” examination last semester, and mark the respective category accordingly

0-20% 21-30% 31-40% 41-50% 51-60% 61-80% 81-100%

1 5 11 20 7 8 12


Female vs. male students (Survey 09A)


S1 S2 S3 S4 S6 S7 S5 S81.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

5.5

6.0

female male all

“Don’t like maths & stats” vs. “Like maths & stats” students (Survey 09A)


S1 S2 S3 S4 S6 S7 S5 S81.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

5.5

6.0

dontlikeM&S likeM&S all

Negative vs. indifferent vs. positive “Attitude towards Technology” students (Survey 09A)


S1 S2 S3 S4 S6 S7 S5 S81.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

5.5

6.0

AtoT = 0 AtoT = 1 AtoT = 2 all

Low- (no more than 40%) vs. high- (more than 80%) performance students (Survey 09A)


S1 S2 S3 S4 S6 S7 S5 S81.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

5.5

6.0

1,2,3 4 5,67 all

Hypotheses based on previous results

• Male students have more positive attitudes towards CAS use in mathematics education than female students

• Students who are more open to computer use in the teaching of mathematics and statistics also have in general more positive attitudes towards CAS use in mathematics education

• Students who are better in mathematics also have more positive attitudes towards CAS use in mathematics education


Regression models


Independent variables:

• Male dummy variable: 1 if male, 0 if female;• AtoT “Attitude towards Technology” (this is defined as the

number of courses a student would prefer as a technology-supported course in the PC lab instead of as a traditional course in a lecture hall (possible values: none, one of two, both));

• PercMA percentage of points in Matrix Algebra portion of “Mathematics II” exam (generated by replacing the values of the variable, which contains the answers to the last question in the questionnaire, by the respective mid-points of the categories).

0 1 2 3Sx b bMale b AtoT b PercMA

Linear regression results (Survey 09A)

dependent variable: R² const. Male AtoT PercMA

S1 no big problem working with 0.17 3.37 0.12 0.21 0.017

S2 more vivid problem solving 0.10 3.36 -0.01 0.36 0.008

S3 helps to avoid mistakes 0.30 3.80 0.48 0.36 0.011

S4 work faster when using it 0.22 3.78 0.31 0.45 0.011

S6 more confident problem solving 0.18 3.61 0.12 0.26 0.016

S7 use to check results 0.12 3.66 -0.47 0.38 0.011

S5 use also for other courses 0.13 1.12 0.04 0.50 0.004

S8 like maths and stats 0.19 1.88 0.10 -0.31 0.030


Conclusions (Survey 09A)

• A first option to improve the status quo:Increase the proportion of time devoted to CAS use in the voluntary tutorial (2 hours each week).

• A better option:Set aside a couple hours for an introduction to a CAS during the three-day bridge course offered the week before the first semester starts, demonstrating its usefulness for all four compulsory courses in mathematics and statistics.

• Probably the best option:Dedicate between 2 and 4 hours of the compulsory Information Technology course in the first semester to an introduction to a CAS; it would then be seen more as a general instrument and the computer viewed also as an assistant for mathematics.


Overall averages for statements (all 4 surveys)


Survey 09A Survey 09B Survey 10A Survey 10B

N 96 86 77 65

S1 no big problem working with 4,5 4,3 4,8 4,9S2 more vivid problem solving 4,1 3,9 4,5 4,5S3 helps to avoid mistakes 4,8 4,6 4,6 4,9S4 work faster when using it 4,9 4,7 4,9 5,1S6 more confident problem solving 4,6 4,4 4,7S7 use to check results 4,3 3,8 4,7S5 use also for other courses 1,8 2,1S8 like maths and stats 3,0 3,7 3,5 3,6

S5no big problem working with SPSS

3,8

S6use of freeware instead of SPSS

4,2

S7 real stats only possible on PC 3,8

S8tech-support: [computations] easier

4,1

S9tech-support: more understandable

4,0

S5 practise regularly 2,8

Differences between cohorts


S1

S2

S3

S4

S6

S7

S5

S8

1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5

Survey 10BSurvey 09A

2009 cohort: changing attitudes over time


S1

S2

S3

S4

S8

1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5


2010 cohort: changing attitudes over time


S1

S2

S3

S4

S6

S7

S8

1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5


Reference

Karsten Schmidt & Anke Köhler (2012):Teaching Mathematics in the PC Lab – The Students’ ViewpointsInternational Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and TechnologyDOI:10.1080/0020739X.2012.714490

Link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0020739X.2012.714490


an evaluation of students’ experiences in technology-based courses in mathematics and statistics

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