MAP the Way to Success in Math: A Hybridization of Tutoring and SI Support

Evin Deschamps Northern Arizona University Student Learning Centers

MAP the Way to Success in Math: A Hybridization of Tutoring and SI Support

• Provide an overview of the Math Achievement Program (MAP) at NAU to show participants what a hybrid model of math support can look like.

• Assess the factors that contribute to potential changing math needs on your campus.

• Identify elements that are key to programs and elements that have the potential to change.

Math Support at NAU

Supplemental Instruction• Offered until fall 2011• Supported lower level math

courses

Tutoring• On-going• 100-300 level• Offered 1:1 and drop-in math

lab

Lumberjack Math Center

(math emporium)• Implemented in fall 2012• Introductory level math

courses

Assess the Changing Student • Students preferring drop-in, low commitment options over 1:1 tutoring.

• Students with jobs who have more demands on their time need more flexibility with drop-in tutoring hours.

• 40% of NAU students are first generation college students who are less likely to enter the university with established help-seeking behaviors.

Assess the Changing Campus • Implementation of a math emporium run by The Department of

Mathematics and Statistics, fall 2012• Space constraints for existing math lab in the Student Learning Centers• Continued enrollment growth (19,000)

– More students who need math resources – More students who place into lower level math

Assess the Existing Model: SI Math Support, SP11

Budget

• Dissatisfaction with numbers: how can we use our resources more wisely?

Partners

• Dissatisfaction from faculty: how can we make the resources more accessible to students while maintaining the quality of service?

Target Group

• Dissatisfaction from students: how can we make the resources easier to access?

Compare and Contrast

• What works well about the SI model?• What works well about the tutoring model?• Is our program set in a rigid structure, or can it

dynamically meet the needs of students?

Create a Hybrid Model

Peer Math Assistants have the flexibility to attend any professor’s

class that they want and are able to help students in different sections of a course. They staff 4 drop-in tutoring

tables for a total of 37 hours per week .

Tutors are not tied to a specific class and are more easily able to help

students in different classes, but aren’t as familiar with the content knowledge

as taught by specific professors because they don’t attend class. 1:1 tutoring appointments are made in

advance.

SI leaders are paid to attend class which ensures excellent content knowledge, but are limited in their ability to help

students from all sections of a course. They hold review sessions at set times

throughout the week, requiring students to attend specific SI leaders

sessions for their section.

MAP

SI Tutoring

Math Achievement ProgramCourses supported are lower level, course coordinated, and build on each other foundationally:

Courses supported AY11-12MAT100, 108, 114, 119, 125, 136

Courses supported AY12-13MAT119, 125, 136, 137, STA270

Courses supported AY13-14MAT119, 136, 137, STA270

MAT100= Intro to AlgebraMAT108= Algebra for Pre-CalculusMAT114= Quantitative ReasoningMAT119= Finite MathMAT125= Pre-CalculusMAT136= CalculusMAT137= Calculus IISTA270= Intro to Statistics*year to year changes in course support due to the implementation of the LMC.

Assess the New Model: MAP Math Support

Budget• Dissatisfaction with numbers: how can we use our

resources more wisely?• The same amount of financial resources are used while

the number of students accessing the program/visit frequency increases.

Partners

• Dissatisfaction from faculty: how can we make the resources more accessible to students while maintaining the quality of service?

• By having the Peer Math Assistants attend a variety of classes they have more faculty interaction across the department. By having them available to help all students they also become more familiar with different faculty’s teaching styles, etc.

Target Group

• Dissatisfaction from students: how can we make the resources easier to access?

• The program has set hours (M-Th 10-6, F 10-3) in which students know there will always be a tutor available to help them. The program is housed in a large, open room in the math building making it convenient to drop in before or after class.

The Key to Success• Peer Math Assistant feedback - Any new idea or change is proposed to the PMAs first to get their feedback. This contributes to significant more program investment, job satisfaction, and semester to semester retention rate of PMAs (90-95%).

- PMA suggestions are always careful considered and followed up on, whether or not the suggestion is put into practice.

• Faculty Involvement- Encouraging students to use the program and utilizing the PMAs in class.- Informing the tutors about specific methods they want students to use to solve problems, etc. ,

keeping the tutors informed about upcoming topics and anticipated student challenges. - Informing the SLC professional staff of issues or concerns both in and out of the classroom.

• Dynamic Programming- Allowing the program to change based on what is happening, not what was predicted

to happen.

MAP by the Numbers AY10-11 (SI) AY11-12 (MAP) AY12-13 (MAP)

Course

Visits

Unique Students

Visits

Unique Students

Visits

Unique Students

Visit % Change

Unique % Change

MAT102x - - 233 66 - - n/a n/a

MAT108 430 107 605 126 - - 41% 18%

MAT114 1185 313 1990 444 - - 68% 42%

MAT119 1042 206 770 172 577 120 -45% (3yr) -42% (3yr)

MAT125 1520 365 1127 218 1089 279 -28% (3yr) -24% (3yr)

MAT136 - - 1760 257 2744 412 56% 60%

MAT137 - - - - 2360 402 n/a n/a

STA270 - - - - 1961 388 n/a n/a

Other (MAT137, 238)

- - 33 17 - - n/a n/a

Other (MAT 238, STA275)

- - - - 213 65 n/a n/a

Total 4177 991 6524 1179 8962 1114 115%(3yr) 12%(3yr)

MAP by the GradesFall 2012: MAT 119, MAT 136, MAT 137, and STA 270

ABC DFW

Visit Frequency N N % N %

None 1,382 1,109 80.2 273 19.8

1-5 355 276 77.7 79 22.3

6-10 76 58 76.3 18 23.7

11-20 69 58 84.1 11 15.9

21+ 47 42 89.4 5 10.6

Spring 2013: MAT 119, MAT 136, MAT 137, and STA 270

ABC DFW

Visit Frequency N N % N %

None 1,128 777 68.9 351 31.1

1-5 282 205 72.7 77 27.3

6-10 77 58 75.3 19 24.7

11-20 61 48 78.7 13 21.3

21+ 35 34 97.1 1 2.9

What Did We Learn: the data

• More assessment is needed for grade comparison, including course by course and incoming academic characteristics of students.

• Students are more likely to utilize resources for non-terminal math courses (MAT136) vs. terminal math courses (MAT119).

• Students are more likely to utilize resources for major courses whose content will apply to future courses (MAT136 for Engineering).

• Establishing program hours that are the same every day encourages frequency of visits.

What Did We Learn: the PMAs• Having one large open tutoring room allows the PMAs:

- To help each other with students when it is busy- To help each other with difficult content material- To informally observe each other’s tutoring strategies

- To develop a sense of community around math

• Giving the PMAs flexibility allows them to:– Choose classes that work better for their personal schedules– Choose instructors that they aren’t familiar with/see students from so

the PMAs can get more familiar with teaching styles

Looking Ahead• Quantitative Assessment:

– Course by course– Domestic vs. international students– Academic preparedness (GPA, math placement score)

• Qualitative Assessment: - End of semester survey to evaluate program effects on confidence, perseverance, motivation, etc.

• PMA Training: - Content reviews at the start of each semester to proactively address gaps in knowledge

Group Discussion• What are the current ways

you support math at your institution?

• On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you with the support model?

• On a scale of 1-10, how likely is it that you could propose changes to your administration?

Program Assessment in Math

Budget

• What are your possibilities, what are your limitations? How can your department make the most of its resources?

• ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Partners

• Who are the program stakeholders, and how satisfied are they with the current program model?

• ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Target Group• How accessible are your services for students?• __________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Program Assessment in Math

Questions?

Evin DeschampsAssistant Director

Student Learning CentersNorthern Arizona UniversityEvin.Deschamps@nau.edu