Case Studies
Devry University
Faculty throughout the DeVry University system noticed a pattern: one-third of students in lower-level mathematics courses came ready to learn, one-third came in body only, and the remaining third demanded the bulk of instructor attention.The top students got bored, and the bottom students dropped out. In 2003, after a lengthy process of proposals and approvals, research and interviews, DeVry University—one of the largest degree-granting higher education systems in North America—made a change.Today, every DeVry student receives the mathematics instruction he or she needs at a pace appropriate for that student— via MyMathLab.
DeVry uses MML as its exclusive teaching tool in both its on-site and online courses. Based on student progress tracked by MML, some courses also incorporate minilectures—20 minutes or so devoted to topics that are giving the majority of students trouble.
DeVry’s initial objective concerning MML was to improve retention. Exit interviews indicated that 70 percent of the students who left did so because of mathematics failures. As of the writing of this report, DeVry didn’t have full data in terms of that objective. What the school does know is that it has seen an overall 65 percent increase in As and Bs in the first half of this semester. And a whopping 100 percent increase of As and Bs in college algebra.
“The best student feature is the immediate feedback,” says DeVry’s National Mathematics Curriculum Manager, Steve Dorfman. “The student puts in an answer and knows immediately whether or not it’s right. It’s a key selling point for students. Once they experience that, they buy into it.” Dorfman estimates a success rate of 85–90 percent for DeVry students who use MML beyond an initial three-week introductory period.
“The faculty is an important element of the success or failure of an MML course,” Dorfman says. “It’s a big change for the faculty.You are no longer the sage on the stage; you’re the guide on the side. And many instructors have problems with that. Conversely, at locations with significantly better results than others, you can point to the instructors and see why. They’re a critical piece of the program. At DeVry, we constantly reevaluate, train, and bring in appropriate teachers.”
By working closely with Pearson Education, DeVry University has merged the concept of mastery learning with technology and come up with a unique product that takes the best of both and offers results not attainable any other way.* They’re pleased both with their results and with their relationship with Pearson.“We work as partners,” says Dorfman. “When we offer feedback or ask for adaptations in the program, Pearson hears us and makes it happen. This kind of relationship helps improve the product and creates a three-way win-win—for DeVry, for Pearson, and most important, for the students.”
* In Mastery Learning, the grading options are A,B, and F. The goal of the concept is to eliminate the possibility of a student moving to the next level of a course without a solid foundation of knowledge. Students are required to achieve an average of at least 80 on both tests and homework.
