Case Studies
University of Idaho
At the University of Idaho (UI), MyMathLab is used exclusively for homework in hybrid courses that require students to attend classes once a week and labs three times a week. Students have the choice of completing homework assignments from a textbook or by using MyMathLab, in which course work can be done from anywhere, since all of the material, including content lectures, can be accessed online.
A quick look at pass rates for Kirk Trigsted’s intermediate algebra (Math 108) course offers a compelling picture. The following includes all students in fall 2004 in Math 108 who finished the course, meaning, students who took the final exam.
- Overall pass rate: 77 percent
- Students who chose the MyMathLab option for homework (457 of 491): 93 percent
- Pass rate among students who chose the homework from the book: 62 percent
- Pass rate among students who chose the MML option for homework: 78 percent
“So far, it seems that the students who choose the MML option comprehend the material better than the students who do the textbook homework,” says Trigsted. “Last semester, students who chose the MML option scored, on average, 13.5 points higher on the final exam than their textbook option counterparts.”
Trigsted suspects that a large component of the point difference is the immediate feedback students receive from MML. Students know in an instant whether they understand the material, and if not, they can redo a problem until they get it right. He sees students doing better and enjoying math more.
Still, MML isn’t a magic bullet.Trigsted and his colleagues have had to fight for the necessary physical space and computer equipment. Despite the measurable benefits UI students gain from computer access, Trigsted is still juggling 1,500 students on 84 desktop computers. Not one to be deterred,Trigsted has created rolling deadlines to spread out lab use, and he is supplementing the lab with a laptop checkout program.
Hopes are high that as the financial benefits of using MML get recognized, more funds will be allocated to the lab. After all, every semester in which MML is used, the university saves money in both instructor salaries and classroom space.The instructors are able to teach more classes per year, since now they are scheduled to teach only once a week.They can take on more at less cost, and they can shift tutorial costs to less expensive undergrads. Since the majority of learning time takes place online, class space is freed up, and the department is using a third of the space it used to.
