Increasing Student Success Rates in Mathematics Courses for Non-Mathematics Majors
Presented by Wendy Hageman Smith (Department of Math & Computer Science)
Freshman don’t arrive knowing what math courses they need to achieve their academic and career goals, or how the specific courses offered by their school’s math department can help them better achieve those goals, or how to optimize their chances of success in the math courses they choose (or are required) to take. A colleague and I have combined my research into a short reference book for instructors and students that addresses student attitudes towards the study of mathematics (including math anxiety) with best practices for the teaching and learning of mathematics in introductory courses. The result is a brief (2 or 3 lecture) program for integration into courses that are typically a “first experience” for students of college math that orients their attitudes, expectations, and study habits towards getting the most out of their current—and likely future—coursework in mathematics. This “short-course” in the nature and value of college math, in disarming math anxiety, and in establishing sound student skills enhances student optimism and engagement. This presentation is resulting data from a control case study of two Math121 classes (one treatment and one control class).
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Dr. Wendy Hageman Smith is an Associate Professor for Mathematics Education in the Mathematics and Computer Science department at Longwood University. She earned her master’s degree in mathematics at Central Washington University and her PhD at the University of Colorado through a combined program of study in the Mathematics department and the School of Education