Which factors infulence student success in Intermediate Algebra, Math 101-102-103
Start Date
8-11-2017 8:30 AM
End Date
8-11-2017 12:30 PM
Abstract
At The University of New Mexico (UNM), Intermediate Algebra (Math 120 and Math 101-102-103) has historically been a so-called “killer course”, with a very low pass rates around 50%, and many students failing the class multiple times which deferring students’ graduation time. Since Spring 2013,, UNM main campus adopted a new changed to the computer system called ALEKS (Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Space), an online adaptive teaching system instead of traditional lecture for teaching the course. Success rates have increased to roughly 80%, as a result of ALEKS and a number of addition ongoing intervention. Given that we still aim to help every student succeed, this thesis answers the question: What are the factors that influence student success in Math 101-102-103? While the goal of this thesis was to develop a statistical model for early prediction of struggling students for early intervention, we were not able to find any currently measured factors. Data included information from the UNM registrar data, public sources for county-level poverty data, and response-level ALEKS data. Our quantitative and qualitative evidence suggest that UNM educators and leadership have found interventions (and they continue to innovate) meeting the academic needs of the students who want to succeed in Intermediate Algebra; this is a success story.
Which factors infulence student success in Intermediate Algebra, Math 101-102-103
At The University of New Mexico (UNM), Intermediate Algebra (Math 120 and Math 101-102-103) has historically been a so-called “killer course”, with a very low pass rates around 50%, and many students failing the class multiple times which deferring students’ graduation time. Since Spring 2013,, UNM main campus adopted a new changed to the computer system called ALEKS (Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Space), an online adaptive teaching system instead of traditional lecture for teaching the course. Success rates have increased to roughly 80%, as a result of ALEKS and a number of addition ongoing intervention. Given that we still aim to help every student succeed, this thesis answers the question: What are the factors that influence student success in Math 101-102-103? While the goal of this thesis was to develop a statistical model for early prediction of struggling students for early intervention, we were not able to find any currently measured factors. Data included information from the UNM registrar data, public sources for county-level poverty data, and response-level ALEKS data. Our quantitative and qualitative evidence suggest that UNM educators and leadership have found interventions (and they continue to innovate) meeting the academic needs of the students who want to succeed in Intermediate Algebra; this is a success story.
