Case Studies
University Of Illinois At Chicago
Textbooks in Use with MyMathLab
Beginning Algebra, 4e, 2005, Martin-Gay; Intermediate Algebra, 4e, 2005, Martin-Gay
MyMathLab Course Structure
Course Design
Beginning Algebra includes three hours of lecture as well as homework and quizzes to be completed on MyMathLab. Students have three days to complete homework once a topic has been covered. Intermediate Algebra is designed in the same way, plus the addition of two hours of discussion per week.
Assessments
Both courses are graded as either satisfactory or unsatisfactory and comprise the following breakdown:
Homework 8 percent
Quizzes 15 percent
Tests 46.2 percent (three, taken in class)
Final 30.8 percent (taken in class)
MyMathLab Implementation
Implementation of MyMathLab in Beginning Algebra began in summer 2005 with one lecture, followed by use in all lectures in spring 2006. There are approximately 40 students in each section. Implementation of MyMathLab in Intermediate Algebra started in summer 2006 with one lecture, followed by use in all lectures in fall 2006—six sections with approximately 160 students in each section.
Both courses use homework, quizzes, and video clips of sample problems from MyMathLab, which contributes 23 percent to each student’s final course grade.
Both courses import test scores and final exam scores into MyMathLab.
MyMathLab Course Results
University of Illinois at Chicago faculty have gathered data from the past six semesters and cite the following results.
Since MyMathLab implementation, both Beginning Algebra and Intermediate Algebra students now complete more than 90 percent of their homework assignments compared with approximately 70 percent before implementation.
Test scores in Beginning Algebra have improved about 30 percent; test scores in Intermediate Algebra have improved about 20 percent.
Pass rates have increased 30 percentage points in Beginning Algebra—from 50 to 80 percent—and 20 percentage points in Intermediate Algebra: from 60 to 80 percent.
Retention rates in both courses increased approximately 15 percent following implementation of MyMathLab.
Conclusions
Mathematics faculty at the University of Illinois at Chicago have concluded that the use of MyMathLab has significantly improved success rates in both Beginning Algebra and Intermediate Algebra.
Based on this data, faculty are expanding the use of MyMathLab from Beginning Algebra and Intermediate Algebra to other mathematics courses, including Finite Math for Business (spring 2008) and Precalculus (fall 2008). In addition, they implemented a related Pearson product, MyStatLab, in Introductory Statistics (summer 2008).
University Of Illinois At Chicago
| School Years: | 4 |
| Courses: | Beginning Algebra Intermediate Algebra |
| Environment: | Traditional |
| Type of Data: | Success Rates, Retention |
| Date | Spring 2006–Spring 2008 |
