Realigning College Algebra with A Lofty Goal EMERALD

Realigning College Algebra with A Lofty Goal EMERALD STACY NOVEMBER 20 TH, 2016 MATH AT A MILE HIGH

Session Overview • College Algebra Redesign • Reordering Content • The Modeling Project • Multistage Testing December 15, 2021

College Algebra Redesign at OSU

Motivation December 15, 2021

College Algebra Pre-2012 3 days of lecture (~180 -210 students) 1 day of recitation (~ 30 -40 students) DFW rate ~45% December 15, 2021

College Algebra Redesign 60 students the same classroom all week 2 days of lecture 2 days of recitation with instructor & TA DFW rate ~30% December 15, 2021

Reordering Content

Motivation December 15, 2021

Content Order ORIGINAL ORDER Linear & Quadratic Functions REVISED ORDER Linear & Quadratic Functions December 15, 2021

Content Order ORIGINAL ORDER REVISED ORDER Linear & Quadratic Functions Transformations, Absolute Value (EXAM) Absolute Value Function Composition (EXAM) December 15, 2021

Content Order ORIGINAL ORDER REVISED ORDER Linear & Quadratic Functions Transformations, Absolute Value (EXAM) Absolute Value Function Composition (EXAM) Transformations Inverse, Exponential, Logs (EXAM) Polynomial, Rational, Radical Functions (EXAM) December 15, 2021

Content Order ORIGINAL ORDER REVISED ORDER Linear & Quadratic Functions Transformations, Absolute Value (EXAM) Absolute Value Function Composition (EXAM) Transformations Inverse, Exponential, Logs (EXAM) Polynomial, Rational, Radical Functions (EXAM) Composition, Inverse, Exponential, Logs December 15, 2021

The Modeling Project

Motivation December 15, 2021

The Modeling Project Linear Functions Quadratic Functions Exponential Climate Functions Data December 15, 2021

Climate Data Assignment 150 years of data for: Sea level 2. Sea temperature 3. Ground temperature 4. Glacial mass 1. December 15, 2021

Sample Assessment Problem December 15, 2021

Sample Assessment Problem The best fit line is h(t) = 3. 48 t + 4. 56, and R 2=0. 95. 1. What is the slope of the best fit line, and what does it represent? 2. What is the y-intercept of the best fit line, and what does it represent? 3. After 90 growing days, how tall does the model tell you the sunflower will be? 4. Do you think a linear model is a good model for the data? Justify your answer. December 15, 2021

Sample Assessment Solution “No, I don’t think so. At first the sunflower grows quickly, and after some days the speed of growth becomes slow. So the speed is not constant. Therefore the slope is not the same all the time. I don’t think a linear model is a good model for the data. ” December 15, 2021

Sample Assessment Solution “The linear model is a good model for the data in my opinion because it seems like the R 2 of the best fit line is close to 1 but there may be other models that would be better for the data. ” December 15, 2021

Multistage Testing

Motivation December 15, 2021

Multistage Testing Stage • Independent, traditional, closed book exam Stage • 1 (80%) 2 (20%) Retaking the same exam as a group the next day December 15, 2021

Outcomes Long term memory creation Testing isn’t the end of learning Learning is more important then learning it the first time Group cohesion December 15, 2021

Thank you for listening Questions? Emerald Stacy stacye@math. oregonstate. edu Oregon State University Mathematics December 15, 2021