Fall 2011 Redesign Plan for MAT091/MAT092 8/6/11
Fall 2011 Redesign Plan for MAT091/MAT092 [8/6/11]
Meredith Altman
I. Academic Structure of the Redesign
A. MAT091 and MAT092 continue as separate courses for the present time, using existing
student learning outcomes (SLOs) and existing paper departmental final exams.
B. Guiding Principles of the Redesign Model Being Employed
1) Each course is organized into several discretemodules, giving students frequent opportunities
for positive reinforcement from successful completion of units of clearly related skills/content.
2) Mastery learning principles apply.
3) The use of computer technology for much of the content delivery and assessments promotes
active learning throughout class time as well as providing additional support for students as
they study and complete assignments outside of class.
4) Students have access to personalized assistance ondemand from their instructor and/or
an instructional assistant (who is also either an instructor or a qualified tutor) both during
class sessions and during additional Open Lab time.
5) This instructional model permitsflexible pacing, enabling students to move ahead very
quickly through material that is easy or previously mastered so they can spend more time on
topics that they find more challenging. This does NOT mean that the course is “self-paced”,
however. A detailed schedule of due dates shows students when each activity needs to be
completed in order to progress through all the modules by the end of the semester and earn
credit for the course. [See Part IV, D, 5 regarding criteria for assigning an IP grade.]
C. Materials
1) Hawkes Learning Systems(HLS) software: BAM for MAT091 and IDA for MAT092
2) the accompanying textbooks by D. Franklin Wright
3) supplementary instructional materials prepared by GCC math faculty
D. Curriculum
1) MAT091 Modules (9 modules)
A: Chapter 1 – Whole Number Arithmetic, Rounding, Properties, Geometry
B:Chapter 2– Exponents, Order of Operations, Prime Factorizations, LCM
Supplementary Material – GCF
C:Chapter 3 – Fractions
D:Chapter 4 (Sec. 4.1-4.5 only) – Mixed Numbers
E:Chapter 5 (Sec. 5.1-5.5 only) – Decimals
F:Supplementary Packet – Measurement Conversions and Operations
Sec. 4.6 – Operations with Mixed Units
G:Chapter 6 (Sec. 6.1-6.4 only) – Ratios, Rates, and Proportions
H:Chapter 7 (Sec. 7.1-7.4 only) – Percents
I:Chapter 9 – Signed Numbers, Simplifying, Solving Linear Equations, Translating
Sec. I.1 – Solving Equations of the form ax + b = cx + d and/or involving parentheses
Sec. II.1 – Scientific Notation
[Note: Several modules include supplementary worksheets or textbook assignments
in addition to the completion of HLS Lessons.]
2) MAT092 Modules (8 modules)
A:Sec. R.1 – Order of Operations Agreement
Chapter 1 – Integers and Real Numbers – Operations and Properties
B:Chapter 2 – Fractions, Decimals, Simplifying Expressions, Translating
C:Chapter 3 (Sec. 3.1-3.5 and 3.8 only) – Linear Equations and Inequalities,
Problem Solving, Geometry
D:Chapter 4 (Sec. 4.1-4.4 only) – Graphing Linear Equations in Two Variables
E:Chapter 5 (Sec. 5.1-5.3 only) – Solving Systems of Equations
F:Chapter 6 (Sec.6.1-6.7a, omitting HLS Lesson 6.7b) – Polynomials
G:Chapter 7 (Sec. 7.1-7.5 only) – Factoring Polynomials
[ Note: Sec. 7.5 may move to Module H in the future]
H:Chapter 9 (portions of Sec. 9.1-9.4 only) – Radical Expressions
Sec. 10.1 10.3 – Quadratic Equations: Square Root Method &Quadratic Formula
Sec. 8.5 – Solving Rational Equations and Proportions
[Note: Several modules include textbook assignments in addition to (or in place of)
the completion of HLS Lessons.]
E. Grading
1) Students must achieve approximately 80% mastery in Certify in order to get credit for each
section of a module. (The exact percentage required varies from about 75%-85%, based on
the number of questions in each particular HLS lesson.) Full credit (100%) for the lesson is
then automatically recorded in the student’s Progress Report and the instructor’s grade book
when the specified mastery level is reached/exceeded, as long as it is completed on time.
2) Homework scores: 10 points for completion by midnight of the due date or before;
8 points forcompletion within 24 hours of deadline; 6 points for completion within 2 days;
5 points for completion 3 days late
3) Progress points: The student earns up to 100 points per week in the Progress category for
attendance, for satisfactory completion of the note-taking guides and documentation of
Certify questions, and for being “on pace” with (or ahead of) the scheduled due dates for
passingmodule tests. The instructor enters progress points in the grade book by hand.
Points are awarded as follows:
•10 pointsper hour of class (= 30 pts/wk) for attendance, with a 5 point deduction for being late or leaving early (and a full 10 points deducted if both apply)
•20 points for notebook completion
•50 points for keepingon pace by having scored 80% on all module tests due by the end of that week – NO PARTIAL CREDIT HERE [The purpose of the “all or nothing” score for “on pace” points is to provide a strong incentive for students to keep up. Students who fall behind but then catch up again can resume earning “on pace” credit.]
4) MAT091 Final Grade weighted average distribution:
45% Module Tests (5% each), 25% Final Exam, 20% Homework, 10% Progress Grade
MAT092 Final Grade weighted average distribution:
40% Module Tests (5% each), 30% Final Exam, 20% Homework, 10% Progress Grade
In both courses, students must have an overall weighted average of at least 70%
AND score at least 60% on the departmental final exam in order to pass the course.
II. Facilities and Equipment
A. The main campus in Batavia hastwo computer-equipped classrooms/labs dedicated exclusively to
the redesigned developmental math courses: D210 and B307. These rooms also function as an
Open Lab for MAT091/092 students when not in use for scheduled classes.
B. At each campus center, the MAT091 and MAT092 classes meet in a classroom/computer lab
equipped with either desktop or laptop computers that have a Windows operating system and
internet access.
III. Staffing
A. In addition to the primary instructor, one additional instructional assistant (a qualified tutor or a
second instructor)is present during each class meeting to provide personalized assistance on
demand in classes with more than 15 students enrolled.
B. All campus locations (each campus center as well as the main campus) need to provide at least
a few hours of staffed Open Lab time each week for students taking MAT091 and MAT092.
[See Part IV, C, 6 below.]
C. It is strongly recommended that an actual instructor of MAT091/092 staff the lab during
Open Lab time – plus another instructional assistant at times of heavier usage (i.e., more than
15 students, or when several people are testing).
D. Therefore each instructor is expected to staff the classroom/lab, either during Open Lab time
or as the instructional assistant in another instructor’s class, one hour per week for each section
of the course that he/she teaches. This is in lieu of the office hour that is required for full-time
faculty for each 3-credit course that they teach. Considering that most instructors will spend
much less time doing class preparation and gradingthan in a traditional course, this seems to be a
reasonable expectation for adjunct instructors, also. Whenever possible, the additional hours will
be scheduled at times that are convenient for the instructors – perhaps just before or just after
their regular class sessions, for example.
E. If the policy described above does not provide enough instructor presence for Open Lab,
additional qualified tutors/instructors should be employed as instructional assistants.
IV. Content Delivery and Assessment – Specific Plans, Policies, and Procedures
A. Module Components
Each course consistsof 8 or 9 modules, each of which includes:
- an optional pretest (proctored, and administered by computer),
- presentation of content via computer (e.g., “Instruct” and video features of Hawkes
Learning Systems software), as well as the textbook and other supplementary written
and/or multimedia resources produced by GCC math faculty,
- interactive practice with analytical feedback through the “Practice” mode of HLS,
- graded homework using the “Certify” mode of HLS, as well as supplementary paper worksheets and/or written textbook assignments for some sections,
- a proctored, computer-administeredposttest (called the “module test”), and
- submission of written documentation of test question solutions and a course notebook.
B. Mastery Learning
1) A student earning a score of 80% or higher on a pretest has the option of keeping that score as
that module’s test grade and proceeding on to the next module. Students scoring lower than
80% on the pretest are required to complete the other components of the module. However,
since the pretests are diagnostic, students may receive credit for some sections of the module
(by answering 90% of the questions from those sections correctly), even if they do not test out
of the entire module. This enables students to progress as quickly as possible through the
course without having to repeat material that has already been mastered.
2) The student must score 80% or higher on each Certify (graded assignment) in the module
before taking the module test (posttest). The student has unlimited attempts to certify,but
must do so with no outside assistance such as help from tutors, instructors, friends, reference
to notes or toInstruct or toPractice, or the use of a calculator. The student is welcome to
have assistance while working in Practice mode, however.
3) The student must score 80% or higher on the module test in order to pass the module and
proceed to the next one. The student may haveup to 5 attemptsat each module test, with
required intervention (detailed review of the test with the instructor/assistant) after 2
unsuccessful attempts. If a score of at least 80% has not been achieved at that point, the
student must meet with the instructor to plan further intervention. [See Part IV, E, 9 below.]
4) All modules and required review materials must be completed successfully before the
student may take the paper departmental final exam. A score of60% or higheron the final
exam is required in order to retain a passing grade in the course. Retakes of the final exam
are notpermitted except in extraordinary situations. The departmental final is available only
during finals week at the end of the semester and at the end of the first 8 weeks of class for
those rare students who may be able to complete all other course requirements by that time.
C. Scheduling and Use of Class Time
1) The students, instructor, and instructional assistant for each section of the course meet
together in the same computer-equipped classroom/lab for three hours each week.
2) Class attendance for all three hours per week is mandatory. Students earn 10 points toward
the weekly Progress Grade for each hour that they attend class, but that is reduced by 5 points
if they arrive late or leave early. A student who completes all course requirements (apart from
the final exam) before the end of the semester may be excused from attending any remaining
classes, and will receive full credit in the Progress Grade for the rest of the semester. Early
finishers must return to take the departmental final exam with the rest of the class, however.
3) During each class meeting, students work independently oncoursework withpersonalized
assistanceavailable from the instructor and/or theinstructionalassistantthroughout class time.
Students also take all pretests, module tests, and quizzes in a proctored setting, either during
class or staffed Open Lab time, in the CAP Testing Center at Batavia, or within established
general testing times and locations at campus centers.
4) Since students may have assistance while working in Practice mode but not in Certify,
they should use most of their in-class time either to work in Practice or to take tests.
5) In addition, the instructor interacts witheach student during class, at least once each week,
to review the student’s progress, discuss recommended interventions, identifystrategies, etc.
6) Nearly all students need to do additional computer work outside of class in order to stay on
pace. However, some students do not have access to adequate computers elsewhere.
Therefore, some Open Lab time isalso available for the benefit of students who need to use
college computers and/or need instructional assistance more than the 3 class hours per week.
D. Flexible Pacing
1) Due dates for each homework assignment and module test are published in the syllabus.
2) Incentives for keeping up with the work include progress points each week for attending
class, filling in note-taking guides, and meeting test and homework deadlines. The portion of
the final grade that comes from these Progress Grade issmall (10%), but awarding points for
meeting each course requirement seems to be the most effective motivator. Also, a score of 0
is recorded for each module test that has not yet been attempted at least once by the due date.
The effect this has on the student’s overall grade-to-date also serves to reinforce the
importance of staying on pace.
3) Whenever possible, students are encouraged to progress more rapidly than the standard pace
needed to complete the course in 16 weeks. Working ahead of pace early in the course
enables students to spend more time on more challenging topics later, without falling behind.
4) Students earn full credit for progress and participation after finishing course requirements
early, even though they are excused from attending the remaining classes.
5) A student who cannot maintain the minimum pace but who makes good progress,completing
at least 50% of the modules [4 out of 8, or 5 out of 9]by the end of the semester, may earn an
IP*grade and have up to 14 weeks to finish remaining modules and take the final exam.
This time extension may enable the student to avoid having to repeat the entire course.
6) Students who earn IPs during a fall semester should be advised to attempt no more than
12 credits of additional coursework in the spring semester if they have 2 or more modules
left to complete. That way they can maintain full-time status with a reasonable load. Then if
they successfully complete the IP within the first half of the semester, they can enroll in the
subsequent math course in a “2nd 8 weeks” section, bringing their total load back up to the 15
credits that most students attempt.
7) When fewer than 50% of the modules are completed in a semester, the student earns an F*.
However, if students re-enroll in the course within 6 months, they may retain credit for
completed modules and begin with the next module in the sequence. In addition, students
who repeat a course more than 6 months after earning an F may ‘test out” of modules that
were previously mastered by scoring 80% or higher on the pretest for each of those modules.
[*In the near future, we anticipate reinstating the X grade – a non-punitive, non-passing grade
that will indicate that a student has made some progress but needs to re-enroll in order to
finishcourse requirements.]
8) A MAT091 student who finishesthe course by the end of week 8may begin MAT092
immediately by enrolling in a “2nd 8-weeks” section of MAT092 that is designated for this
purpose (shown on the course list as time and location TBA). The student already has a seat in
a classroom with an instructorand computer access, so the student can continue in the same
location and time slot while working on MAT092 materials. (Since homework and test scores
are automatically recorded in the online grade book, the instructor of record for the special
section of MAT092 can have easy access to the students’ progress, even if they are scattered
among several locations and times.) If a student completes at least 50% of the MAT092
modules (but not all) before the end of that semester, he/she receives an IP grade.
[See Parts IV, D, 5 and 6 above.]
E. Testing Procedures
1) Only students who have properly documented accommodations for disabilities are permitted
to use a calculator for pretests, module tests, quizzes,Certify, and the final exam. No other
aids, such as note cards with formulas, are permitted while completing any graded work.
2) Prior to taking a module test, a student must complete all homework (both HLS lesson
Certifies and any supplemental paper assignments) within the module and must also submit
his/her notebook. The instructor will briefly check to see that the module note-taking guide
has been fully filled in and that the student has documented all calculations for Certify
questions. The instructor will record the fulfillment of these requirements, to be counted
toward the student’s weekly Progress Grade.
2) All WebTests that count for credit are password protected. They may be taken only in the
classroom or during Open Lab time or in a proctored testing center. The password must be
typed in by the proctor (while the student’s head is turned) and never made available to any
student, including a peer/student tutor.
3) Practice tests are available through WebTest for most modules. These are notpassword
protected and may be taken an unlimited number of times on any internet-connected computer
on which the Hawkes software is loaded.
4) Students document their work and answers for each question on special test forms that include
a box at the top in which to record their score.
5) Instructors may adjust WebTest scores when students have recorded answers correctly on
paper but typed them incorrectly on the computer. In addition, if a test score is 75%,
the instructor may sparinglyaward well-deserved partial credit in order to bring the score up
to the minimum mastery grade of 80%– but usually NOT on the student’s 1st or 2nd attempt
at the test. To raise the grade higher than 80%, the student needs to retake the test.
6) If a student passes a module test before using up all 5 available attempts, at the end of the