MATH:EAGER: Improving Algebra Web-Native Learning Material via Real-Life Applications and Games

University Of California-Riverside, Riverside CA

Investigators

Abstract

One of the hurdles students often face when they enter college is to be able to navigate through algebra and/or developmental mathematics, and a large number of students across the country are enrolled in these courses in each year. This project will develop new algebra and developmental mathematics learning material and approaches specifically targeted to lower division college students. The project will build on a new web-native approach already shown to improve college-student learning and success outcomes. That approach involves material having less text and fewer video lectures, and, instead, includes more animations, extensive learning questions, and tools for exploring/tinkering/practicing with auto-generated, auto-graded challenge activities seamlessly integrated throughout the material. The project will focus on creating and integrating real-life applications of concepts relevant to college students. The project also will create and integrate web-based activities that help students to master skills and build intuition of mathematical concepts. Research has shown that student engagement with real-life applications in competition-like settings can improve mathematics learning outcomes substantially. This project will create and integrate those aspects into state-of-the-art mathematics learning material, garner adoption of the material by numerous colleges, and evaluate and conduct research on the material's effectiveness via multiple studies. The project will develop applications that speak to college students in several ways, including relevance to: (1) college students' current and near-future personal lives (such as renting an apartment or deciding among mobile phone plans); (2) students' future careers (for example, performing basic accounting or understanding results of controlled studies); and (3) students' understanding of real-world issues (such as environmental change, the value of a college education, or world poverty). The project will develop learning activities both suitable and engaging for college-age students - self or small group competitive settings that foster students' skills, intuition, and deep understanding related to fundamental core concepts. The project will conduct controlled randomized studies, as well as cross-semester analyses, to determine the impact of such applications and learning environments on student learning and success as well as on student attitudes versus more traditional learning material and approaches. The materials and approaches will be designed to promote the facility of wide adoption, consequently enhancing the potential for overall student success in college through the improvement of student learning in algebra and developmental mathematics.