What will we be doing in the pathways MOOC?

It's interesting to me how MOOCs are affecting higher education.  I'm not interested in using them for traditional courses, but for professional development and training, I think it could be a sound option.  In a perfect world, I would travel to each school that has asked for training and interact with their faculty using lessons and problems.  We would address the questions specific to that college and help instructors feel confident and usually quite excited to teach this new type of developmental math course, a pathways math course.

Unfortunately, real life makes that hard.  I just trained a school last week and enjoyed it tremendously.  They were lively and engaged and it made for a great day.  When possible, that's my goal:  to have to face to face training.  And I do that often.  But when that's not possible, a MOOC can provide a large reach more efficiently.

Our goals for the MOOC are still the same as with the face to face workshops:  engagement.  We want instructors working, talking, thinking and above all, interacting with each other.  These are the same goals in our pathways classrooms.  When those events happen, learning happens and people leave feeling their time was well spent.  We want that to happen in our MOOC as well.

So, what exactly will we be doing?  If you will take the course, this is what you'll do:

First, you will learn about the history of pathways courses.  We don't want to assume everyone knows the difference between Quantway and MLCS, for example.  So we delve into where pathways courses have come from and the timeline of their development.

Then we talk about philosophy.  That is, the philosophy of these courses and your philosophy of teaching.  We want to challenge you to see how you think math should be taught and how that aligns with the approach of these courses.  Often instructors are really excited about teaching these courses, but get uncomfortable when they see a different topic order or they don't see their favorite algebraic method taught when they used to.  Understanding your beliefs and the approach of the course will help make for a smoother transition.

Next we work on what it looks like to solve real problems as opposed to the traditional "word problems" usually seen in textbooks.  We will work on the challenges these problems pose in the classroom and how to overcome them.  We will also work on the role of algebra in pathways course.  It's present but it's different too.

Then we'll move into group work and assessments.  And we'll close with implementation at your school.

Throughout the course, we will have activities to help you explore something, learn something, and put that learning into practice.  This is the same approach we use to teach a pathways lesson.  You will talk to other faculty about challenges, ideas, questions, etc.  We are not the sages on the stage.  We'll share our ideas and experiences but we will also really want to hear from you.  We are lucky to have some participants who have already taught the course.  They can share their experiences so that you'll hear more than just what happens in Heather's classroom and mine.

We will work on a larger project for most of the course that will really allow you to dive into a challenging aspect of the course:  open-ended projects.

By the end of course, you should feel confident and ready to pilot with comfort both in terms of how the classroom will work and also in terms of implementation at your school.  Because we will have a large number of students, we probably won't be able to answer every individual question.  We will do our best to do so, though.  And the peer interaction will also help.  We don't want anyone leaving feeling like their questions are unanswered.

This course should provide growth for the novice pathways instructor to more experienced instructors who have taught a pathways course.  If you just want to observe and learn about them and see what others are doing, that works too.  But the more involvement we have from you, the better for all involved.

Interested?  Go here to register.

MOOC registration going strong, new webinar recording available

If you haven't registered for the MOOC we'll be teaching this summer for Canvas, please do.  Our enrollment is increasing at a great pace.  Click here to register.

Also, I gave a webinar about Math Lit and MLCS a few weeks ago for Pearson.  Here is a link to the recording.

Canvas MOOC Registration Now Available!

The registration for the online MOOC that Heather and I will teach this summer for Canvas learning systems is now open!

Go to this site to register.


Important facts about the course:

• It is an online course.
• It runs from June 3 to June 30.
• It is free.

The most important thing to know is that the course will help you learn much more about pathways courses and how to teach them.

Illinois update and student reactions to MLCS

On April 6 at our AMATYC affiliate's meeting, IMACC, we voted and approved pathways courses.  That same weekend, our MAA affiliate, ISMAA, also approved Illinois versions of pathways courses.  Last week, the Illinois Articulation Iniative's General Education panel also accepted the new courses as alternative prerequisites for the following courses:  general education math, general education statistics, elementary mathematical model, and quantitative literacy.

We've been working for over 3 years to get pathways courses in Illinois as an approved alternative.  Several schools, including my school, have been developing their courses and piloting them.  We were granted pilots on a trial basis, so it's fantastic to be officially approved.

Progress!

In other news, we often hear from schools class testing our book Math Lit for their MLCS courses.  Below are some comments from students in those classes.  Keep in mind that this school is in IL where the course is a 6 credit hour, 1 semester course.  Most states are not using this large of an MLCS course, but instead are teaching a 4 credit hour version.

Comments have not been edited for spelling or grammar.

“I really think this class has helped me a lot. When I came into this I did not know what to expect. At times I struggle, but when I have the groups I think for the most part we help each other to understand. I like that things are revisited because sometimes I may not fully grasp it, but then it comes back around; this time I get it. The class is very fast paced, and at first I was terrified I would fall behind, but I haven’t. I have learned a lot of things I have never heard before or have struggled with. I have grown leaps and bounds since the beginning of class.”

“In this course I learned more than just how to do Math, and solve algebraic equations. We learned what things meant and why the rules we use are the rules we use. Mrs. Thannum and Mrs. Peterson are great teachers and they’re experts at making you remember what we learned. I would recommend this class to anyone.”

“It has been great. I have learned so much. I want to achieve in a higher class but there was much I didn’t understand. Now when I first entered the class, I felt like I was put in a class for dumb people but it changed for me after I started learning. This course is needed very much. It breaks things down for me slower. It repeats what I missed . . . the teachers help explain."

“I like this course compared to others. I have learned more here than all of high school math. The only thing I don’t like is going four days a week and the weight of the Cycle Projects.”

“MAT 099 is an [sic] in your face example of how math should be taught. While not insulting your overall intelligence, it gets as personal/intimate as possible for the student to truly understand what to do by breaking down then showing how to apply the concept. Not just by saying here’s how you do it . . . move on . . . then you are scratching your head in confusion. Schools have entrance exams for a reason. Math, if not your strong suit should be as stated (based) on requirements for program or degree, should be given to ALL students with developmental issues concerning math. Coming from experience having taken 094 and bombed horribly only a semester ago, MAT 099 has by fair taught me how to not only break down the problem, but do it and understand it and actually apply it to real life.  I’m able to understand and apply math reasoning all from this course. As of summer, I will be able to go on to college level math as a result from this course.”

The pathways online course for Canvas will be posted this week for registration.  I will put info on my blog as soon as I have it.

Documents from today's webinar

Below are the presentation packet and redesign model documents mentioned in the webinar.

Mlcs handout with math lit lesson 3.12 from kathleenalmy

Rvc developmental math model packet 2013 from kathleenalmy

Webinar tomorrow

If you'd like to learn more about our book Math Lit, the MLCS course we teach, and see a sample lesson, please attend a webinar tomorrow April 12 at 12 pm CST sponsored by Pearson Education.  You can register here.

Pathways progress!

I've been traveling every weekend for the last two months, giving several talks and workshops on the pathways course we're teaching, Math Literacy (MLCS).  It has been exciting to see the tremendous amount of momentum and progress being made in regards to courses like this.  Many faculty are excited to see a new offering that is not algebra remixed and truly does something different for the developmental student.  I've heard more than instructor say, "This is long overdue."

So what progress is being made?

First, we have begun to see very promising data.  Carnegie has recently released their results, which are very encouraging.  I'm a big supporter of all pathways courses, not just MLCS. Fundamentally, I believe in this type of course and the philosophy of it, even with slight differences amongst the various pathways options currently available.

Like Carnegie, the results of our 2 year pilot are exciting.  Typically 55 - 70% of our students pass the Math Literacy course.  It is not an easy course by any stretch, so there aren't lots of A's.  But many students do pass.  If they will work, they can pass.

Additionally, we've been tracking students in their outcome courses like intermediate algebra, statistics, and liberal arts math.  And the data has so far has supported our hypothesis:  there is no statistically significant difference in the performance in outcome courses when comparing MLCS students and students who take the traditional algebra courses.  There is enough algebra for students to pass traditional intermediate algebra after MLCS.  And there is enough rigor (and mathematics) for students to pass liberal arts math or statistics after MLCS.

Our sample sizes are not large yet, so we will continue to track students for likely 2 more years.  As a veteran course redesigner, I know that redesign is not done when you roll out or even after a year or so.  Time has to pass, more faculty have to teach the course, and bugs will need to be worked out.  But I have seen that come to be over and over, so I have faith that will be the case with this course too.

Another point of progress are states allowing and considering allowing courses like MLCS to be piloted and accepted as an alternative to intermediate algebra.  There are already several states who have changed their policies.  Illinois has not yet, but we vote in less than 2 weeks.  I will post on the outcome.

Definitely there is a shift going on in the U.S.  Two years ago, the talk on redesign centered around emporium models.  While that is a valid approach for certain students, many faculty are concerned about that model of redesign across the board.  I believe the pendulum swung too far with using that approach at a very large scale, and am glad to see it swinging back to a balanced approach to redesign:  models that support STEM students and skill remediation and models that support non-STEM students and their outcome courses.  Faculty like seeing the emphasis on conceptual and applied understanding that exists in MLCS.  And really, both redesigns can live happily in a department.  We have modular (not emporium) algebra courses, an accelerated algebra course, and MLCS at our school.  Different timeframes and options for the variety of students and instructors who work with these courses.

Another point of progress is materials.  Our text, Math Lit, will be the first textbook for pathways courses published by a major educational publisher.  It releases in July of this year.  All the major publishers have projects in the works.  Some educational foundations are also making progress on materials.  While some of these projects have remarkable similarities on the surface, the functionality varies.  Our goal when writing was not just to create a product with a new content approach in mind, but also to create a product that works in the classroom for all levels of educators.  Pedagogy matters but more than that, instructor support is crucial.  Our goal was to provide a product that works for faculty made by faculty who know what today's classroom is like because we are in it like they are.  And we are in those outcome classes, so their specific needs are addressed too.  We want students to enter a college level non-STEM class and be completely prepared for what will be expected of them.

We're already looking down the road at what needs to be created based on instructor requests.  So we are planning our next projects, of which there will be several.  I'll post when decisions are definite.  But in the meantime, I can say this:  we are committed to providing materials and support to schools with a variety of needs, be it a smaller version of our course or this approach with other content.  Really, our work in this arena has just begun.

Our training and talks will continue.  The online pathways course that Heather and I will teach for Canvas will be open for registration next month.  I'll post info then.  We have started building the course and are so excited to teach it.  It will be engaging, informative, and also just fun.  The platform, Canvas, is amazing.  And we've really focused on working with students in that course the same as we do with our MLCS courses:  engaging activities, lots of interaction between everyone in the class, and putting in practice the ideas so that you can successfully and confidently teach a pathways course.

It's certainly an exciting time to be in mathematics!