Case Studies
Louisiana State University - Baton Rouge
Louisiana State University’s (LSU’s) college algebra, trigonometry, and precalculus pass rates were the envy of other universities. With its small class sizes and its large corps of instructors, the university was able to enjoy a high rate of academic success with an enrollment of more than 6,000 students. From an educational perspective, LSU was doing well, but heavy reliance on high-level personnel meant soaring costs. In October 2003, the administration asked the mathematics department to reduce its number of instructors from 40 to 18—while retaining the same number of students and maintaining the same quality of education.
In order to fill the gap left by this drastic cut in personnel, LSU began investigating software that would incorporate both tutorial and testing features. By providing both of those critical features, MyMathLab was able to help LSU reduce the cost of instruction while maintaining the same level of learning.
Students at LSU have embraced the MML software. With MML’s focus on the learner, students who use MML learn at their own pace.They are guided through the learning process and are therefore able to keep working at skills until they are mastered. Accessible from any Web-based computer, MML offers the flexibility to do homework at students’ convenience—which increases the odds that they’ll do the work. And because the software content is developed in close consultation with mathematics instructors, MML responds as a classroom teacher would: students are prompted through exercises, they’re stimulated, and they’re rewarded for their mastery of concepts.
In fall 2005, LSU opened a 114-seat, 3,000-square-foot math lab on campus in a historic building. Funding to renovate the building and offer technical support was provided by the university, and math department personnel themselves applied for—and received—grants to buy the furniture and computers. After several pilot tests, today 3,000 LSU students are using MyMathLab both inside and outside the new lab, and a second lab is being planned for the near future to accommodate even more students.
“MyMathLab software is good,” says Phoebe Rouse. “But like any other software, it takes time to master. That’s why the Faculty Advocate program is invaluable. It’s a great resource.”
What has Rouse learned from her experience with MML? Students who attend 70 percent or more of the classes and put in 70 percent or more of the required lab hours have a 95 percent chance of getting an A,B, or C in the course. It is participation in the program that is the ultimate indicator of student success—something that students can control. MML promotes active learning among students. Students learn to better manage their time. Rouse and her colleagues consider this kind of empowerment an important indicator of long-term success— and so does the university’s administrative staff.
