MATH: EAGER: Online Collaborative Problem Solving in Remedial College Mathematics

University Of California-Irvine, Irvine CA

Investigators

Abstract

This is a study of the impact of the learning environment on undergraduate students learning problem-solving in remedial pre-calculus mathematics. The study will examine the comparative effectiveness of face-to-face discussion groups and 2 different types of online designs, compared to individual practice. Students will be randomly assigned to one of four groups: three treatment groups that carry out collaborative problem solving using (1) face-to-face discussion, (2) an audio capability with a whiteboard online tool, or (3) an online virtual environment combining audio plus whiteboard plus avatar-based interaction; or a control group of individual problem solving. Currently, pre-calculus instruction is been carried out online in this university using the web-based ALEKS tutorial software, an online interactive learning system that uses an artificial intelligence algorithm to assess and report student mastery of content material. In search of improved student performance, this project is conducting an early in-depth study of the effectiveness of a richer online design for learning problem solving that was recently constructed for management courses, called VirBELA (Virtual Business Education Leadership Assessment). It is a learning platform that offers students the opportunity to work in teams. In mathematics, VirBELA has good potential for facilitating group problem-solving. It provides a whiteboard that allows students to draw diagrams and functions as needed and also provides an audio capability for discussion. It has the added feature of giving students a virtual online embodiment by creating an avatar for each student. There is evidence from other sources that avatars create a richer, more interactive and engaging online collaborative environment that more closely replicates the advantages of in-person communication. A wide range of data will be collected and assessed, including usage logs of the tutorial learning software, common final exam scores in both pre-calculus and calculus, and individual institutional data. Other outcome variables will include how students perform on the problem solving, how they use the tutorial-based mathematics software before and after problem solving sessions, and whether they persist to the next calculus course, what grades they earn in the following calculus course, and how their attitudes toward STEM study change based on pre- and post-surveys. The study will be repeated in three different quarters.