Case Studies
Kapi‘olani Community College
Textbook in Use
N/A
Key Take-Away
By creating a supportive environment using MyMathTest and peer tutors in short, math refresher courses, KCC students overcome math anxiety and are better prepared for math placement tests. By scoring higher, students save significant amounts of tuition dollars.
Course Implementation
Course Design
Implemented in summer 2009, the Math Compass Brush Up Sessions was a pilot project comprising free refresher courses for high school students who had been accepted into Kapi‘olani Community College (KCC).
The objective of the project was to help high school students improve both their Math Compass Placement Test scores and their attitudes toward math itself. Courses included 10 days of two hours of hands-on tutorial support each day. Students chose either a morning or afternoon session. Peer tutors were KCC students who had previous tutoring experience and had completed at least College Algebra.
MyMathTest was used for identifying areas of improvement and for providing tools to increase math comprehension. Each student was offered a minimum of two-weeks’ access to the peer tutors, who were available to help students with MyMathTest assignments.
The students had the option to retest the math portion of Compass after completing the MyMathTest assignments and consulting with the peer tutors.
Assessments
Students completed a diagnostic test in MyMathTest. They then worked on their MyMathTest Study Plan at home or with peer tutors. When ready, they completed a MyMathTest posttest and decided whether or not to retest the Math Compass Placement Test.
Use of MyMathTest
MyMathTest was used for pre- and posttests, the study plan, and homework assignments.
Results and Data
The post-Brush Up Compass Placement Test scores show that there were improvements to most students’ raw score, and that in most cases, students advanced to the next math course.
Of those students who retested, the majority experienced improvement in either their raw score or their course placement. Of the 37 students who retested, 34 improved their raw score. Of those 34, 19 improved by one course level and four improved by two course levels.
The Student Experience
Peer tutors noticed more participation by students in small-group settings—in which small groups of students sat facing each other—versus in larger classroom settings in which students sat at rows of tables facing forward.
By retesting into higher-level math courses, students save both time and money. For example, tuition for the precollege mathematics course during 2009/10 is $474; tuition for Introduction to Algebra and subsequent math courses is $253. A student advancing from precollege mathematics to a higher-level math course saves $221.
Most important, the Brush Up Sessions with MyMathTest worked.
- “What helped me to improve my score was the [MyMathTest] study plan. It helped me to refresh my brain.”
- “[MyMathTest] helped me out a lot when I had problems.”
- “[MyMathTest] taught me to understand the problems better.”
Conclusions
The MyMathTest-enabled Brush Up Sessions successfully provided students with a safe way to address their fears and concerns around math. By combining online and in-person support, the program was able to address students in the manner in which this generation most effectively obtains—and retains—information.
KCC looks forward to continuing the summer program— and its use of MyMathTest—in an effort to enable students to better bridge the transition from high school to college. Possible changes to next summer’s program include charging $15 for the program as a way of promoting a sense of its value and thereby increasing retention.
Kapi‘olani Community College
| Product Used: | MyMathTest |
| Course Name: | Math Compass Brush Up Sessions |
| Credit Hours: | 0 |
"Because MyMathTest is so user-friendly, students had few questions about the program itself. Students and peer tutors were able to spend class time productively addressing math concerns."
