A favored author of my,
Larry Correia, will engage in taking an article or blog post and systematically discussing its failings. Using his format as an example, I am going to address a recent article in the Ogden Standard Examiner about a student who started a petition against Weber State's developmental math program. The original article can be found
here. The original article below is in regular text
while my comments are in bold/italics.
Student petition blasts WSU math program
OGDEN -- It’s not unusual to see students break down into tears because of Weber State University’s Developmental Mathematics Program, according to Lauralee Stephens Kohl.
It's not uncommon to see student break down because of math anywhere. Math is widely considered a difficult and involved topic. If crying students was the only reason to change a program then the Interior Design program at USU should be change. Or nursing programs all over the country. Or Culinary Arts, medical school, law school, anatomy courses, chemistry courses, computer science courses. The list is nearly endless.
The program was already difficult for students who are struggling with math, and changes to the program only add obstacles to graduation, she said. That’s why she’s circulating a petition to stop the changes.
“It’s like an abyss,” Kohl, of Brigham City, said of the program. “Once you get in it, you feel like you just can’t get out.”
Kathryn Van Wagoner, director of the Developmental Math Program, says many of the concerns listed in the petition are based on misinformation or misunderstandings.
“I have received some emails from students about some information they were given, and it’s actually not correct information,” she said. “We are transitioning to this new plan, so we've been refining and verifying our internal communications prior to making a formal announcement of the new plan, and student concerns have brought to my attention some information that has to be corrected on the website.”
So you are saying that the math program shouldn't change? They shouldn't try to incorporate new technologies, teaching methods, or more accurate assessment tools? If people didn't like change in mathematics we would still be using lines and circles. We wouldn't be past Roman numerals. That would make everything better. Consider this. A recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education shows that the STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) primarily rely on lecture based teachingf much to the determent of their students. Lecturing has been shown to have limitations particularly "that lecturing is not suited for higher levels of learning: comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation." Those are the very levels that math is designed to stimulate. Why would you want to stop a math program from making changes to their program in an attempt to improve instruction and student experience?
Jeff Henry, president of WSU’s Student Senate, sat down with Van Wagoner to discuss the rumors about the program changes.
“I wanted to get an understanding of what exactly is happening,” he said. “From what she’s explained ... the new changes are going to be beneficial to students.”
So, what Kathy said was right, many of the concerns are due to misinformation and misunderstanding. Once Jeff Henry got his understanding he saw the changes as beneficial. So maybe it's not the program.
Developmental math is, essentially, pre-college math for students whose skills are not quite up to college standards. According to WSU’s website, 75 percent of public four-year universities across the nation offer developmental classes.
The first complaint Kohl lists in her petition is the practice of placing holds on students who have not completed developmental math classes within a certain period of time. Until those classes are completed, no other classes can be taken.
Van Wagoner says that practice has been gone since January. The idea was to motivate students to complete the classes, instead of causing bigger problems for themselves through procrastination. It didn’t work.
"It didn't work" So they changed it. There were many people who celebrated that change. I know of sparkling cider and treats being shared in some offices. Students were not the only ones that didn't like that. Again, they wanted to help students and when they saw it didn't work they got rid of it. Also, if your first concern on your petition was resolved six months ago I would say that you're off to a bad start. Have you done your homework about the issue before asking for signatures?
At the heart of Kohl’s petition is the use of Accuplacer exams to determine in which class to place students, based on their math skills.
“When I started ... you could take unlimited AccuPlacer placement tests,” Kohl said.
It cost students $10 per test, but many were willing to take them several times in an attempt to score high enough to get out of taking certain classes. Now the number of times a test can be taken has been limited, she said.
“We made that change quite some time ago,” said Van Wagoner, “because students were repeatedly testing and not making any improvement in their placement, and basically throwing their money away.”
Now students have two attempts at the placement test, which is enough to allow a retake, said Van Wagoner. More should not be necessary, because the point of a placement test is to find out what math do you know, so you are put into the right class.
Henry agrees that taking the test multiple times isn’t helpful.
“If I’m taking it 15 times, I’m really guessing — I don’t know what I’m doing,” he said, adding that the current policy of allowing the test just twice a year is fair and reasonable.
Can you argue with their reasoning? "were repeatedly testing and not making any improvement...basically throwing their money away." Kathy basically is saying "We don't want your money if it's not helping you." But this change limited the effectiveness of Acer Placer - and that's what a lot of student object to.
Acer Placer is a private company that "offer[s] personalized instruction in a class of no more than 8 students. Our instructors guide you through the materials covered on the Accuplacer math placement test." They claim, "students from any background in math can test our of Math 1050." I cannot condemn them nor can I recommend them. I don't really want to do either. This is because I've seen them work for some students and not work for other students. Students take an eight week course which involves taking the Accuplacer test multiple times, often more than once a week. When WSU limited the number of times a student could take the Accuplacer students enrolled in Acer Placer courses claimed it was because we were trying to shut down Acer Placer - that WSU felt threatened by Acer Placer.
It wasn't, WSU doesn't. It's because of the reasons that Kathy gave above. It is also worth considering that students that take the same test multiple times will learn how the test reacts. So, are those students learning how to succeed in a math class, are they demonstrating that they know the basis of algebra well enough to succeed in a class or are they just learning how to take a test? I will never understand a statement I've heard so often. "I'm not good at math, so I'm going to test out." If you aren't good at something what makes you think you can test out? If students want to spend money on a private company which wants $1000 dollars that is their right. If Acer Placer is teaching students mathematical concepts and principles then it doesn't matter what test they take - math is math whether its Accuplacer, ACT, Math Mastery, or SAT. Math is the same in English, French, Russian, and Chinese. Do what you want to study for the test. Just don't expect us to endorse wasting your time taking the same test twelve times with minimal results.
Starting Aug. 25., the Accuplacer test won’t even be used for math placement. It’s being replaced by a weighted rubric of high school GPA and ACT math scores.
“We’ve eliminated the need for students to take a placement test,” Van Wagoner said. “We did an internal review of past student success, and found ACT scores and GPA were a good indicator of student success.”
Look! You don't even have to take the test. You don't have to spend your money if you don't want to.
Students who don’t have an ACT score, or who want to improve their placement, will now be given the “Math Mastery” exam.
If you want to test out of classes go ahead! We're not trying to stop you.
Kohl objects to the “Math Mastery” exam, saying it’s based on the school’s 0950 and 0990 math courses.
“The math program has a 60 percent fail rate at Weber State, so you’re not teaching the essential skills needed,” she said, adding that the curriculum should be fixed before it’s the basis of testing.
Of course! The curriculum is at fault! The topics that they cover in Math 0950 and 0990, which are almost identical to other developmental math courses offered around the state. The subject of mathematics, one of the most standardized topics across the state is at fault for the 60% fail rate. Only 40% of people in college can do fractions, real numbers, decimals, exponents, and ratios. The curriculum of the developmental math classes was taught 500 years ago and last week in millions of elementary schools across the country and the world. Of course it's the curriculum that's at fault. Blame the professors. Blame the technology, Blame astrology. Blame any variable you care to, but to say that the basic curriculum of the developmental math classes of Weber State is not suitable material to gauge a student's ability to succeed in math is laughable. If you can't do fractions, it's not the fractions' fault. It might be yours, it might be your sub-par teacher's fault, it might the fault of dyscalculia , but it's not the fractions.
She says she spent three times the required hours working on math assignments, and never improved until she took math classes from a private tutoring business.
Students in developmental math courses that use the Hub meet one day a week (50 minutes) and are required to meet 100 minutes to simulate the time they would normally spend in class if they were in a regular lecture course. Research has shown that for every hour in class, students can expect to spend two hours outside of class on homework and studying. This is widely acknowledged. Let's say she spend 300 minutes a week in the Hub, that is three times the required amount for the class. Based on our ratio of hours in class per hours out of class she is short another 100 minutes a week. A common misconception is that those 100 minutes is the minimum to succeed in class. It is not. It is the same simply attending class. Homework is extra. She made a great start and just needs to keep going.
Van Wagoner says changes have been made. In addition to online classes and a TERM (Technology Enhanced Redesign of Mathematics) self-paced course, which students do on their own with help available from tutors, the program is offering developmental math classes in flipped form. Flipped classes ask students to study lessons at home, and then meet in a classroom, with a teacher, four days a week while working through assignments.
The program is also starting a new “Pathway to Contemporary Mathematics” (Math 0810) class, for students who aren’t going into science, technology, engineering or math.
“It’s not necessarily less rigorous, it’s just more relevant to the student,” said Van Wagoner, explaining that it has less emphasis on algebra.
Again, the developmental math department is expanding their offerings in an attempt to meet the needs of more students. And they are petitioning to stop that? You want math instruction to stay the same and not look for new and improved methods of teaching and reaching out to students?
Kohl’s petition also says the “Math Mastery” exam can only be taken once a year, and will be more difficult to pass because it’s fill in the blanks instead of multiple choice.
“It’s tricky. If you put in 0.5 instead of 1/2, it’s wrong,” she said.
That is true, said Van Wagoner, but each question will tell you the format in which the answer should be written.
If you can't follow instructions.....
Joanna Bushell, of Ogden, signed Kohl’s petition. She is one of several students who has been taking private math classes to learn skills, and then taking AccuPlacer tests multiple times at an applied technology college.
“It’s not a trick — you have to know math to pass,” she said. “There’s no way to just fumble your way through AccuPlacer and get an accidental passing grade.”
Taking the test multiple times is for practice.
Good! If they teach you want you need to know and you can still practice what's the problem?
“Once you feel confident you can pass it consistently, you go to Weber State and hope you can pass,” she said.
Hope you pass? If you know the stuff and you pass it consistently, why wouldn't you be able to do it at Weber State? Math is math (as shown above).
Carin Mann, of Layton, is using AccuPlacer to test out of math completely.
“I’m not even signed up for math at Weber State University,” she said. “I heard horrible things about it, and that nobody can pass it.”
And a person who has not even tried something is a good source for information about the situation. This is also a good place to mention that many student that don't take developmental math courses at Weber, take developmental math classes is at one of two Applied Technology Colleges near by. Weber does not discourage students from taking classes there. What is interesting is that they use a self paced modular layout for instruction. There is no teacher and no tutor support. We use a similar system: modular and with minimal class time, so students can work as fast or slow as they want within the usual semester time line. So students that attend the ATCs are taking classes using the same format that they would here but they don't have a designated professor or free tutoring services. I've learned that some students after taking classes at the ATCs returned to Weber because we can provide additional support unavailable at the ATC. We're okay with students taking classes somewhere else and transferring them in. I just find it funny that they avoid us because they hear that "Weber math is hard!" just to go somewhere that is just like our program with less help.
Bushell says eliminating AccuPlacer tests forces students into developmental math classes at WSU.
“They’re gradually narrowing it down so your only option is to take two years, or four semesters, of their math classes,” she said.
Because we only want to to take our courses. That's why we accept transfer work. That's why we allow students to complete their math requirement how ever they want. That's why we still allow students to test out of math. That's right, not just test out of developmental math, but students can still completely test out of math. The only thing that has changed is that they need to demonstrate their competence in fewer attempts.
She’s afraid the real reason for doing away with AccuPlacer is monetary, because students would have to pay for WSU classes instead of private tutoring.
“I would imagine it’s a great money maker for the university,” she said.
Because the $1000 dollars they pay for to Acer Placer is such a loss to us. The average class size is 3 credits. Based on current tuition rates if they only took that one class the cost would be $920. Yes, we might feel that, but Weber's job is not to make money. It's what we need to do to help enhance our programs and offerings, but nobody who works with students is being told by administrators, "If students don't register for developmental Math classes then you're out of a job." But very few students take just one class because it's not as economical as going full time (12 credits), or even just going part time. If a student who traditionally attends 12 semesters says, "I'm only going to do nine semesters and take my math somewhere else" the difference between the tuition and fee's cost is just under $500. If a student did that for three semesters we would lose $1500, less than what one additional student would bring in by taking six credits. While the student in question would save $500. Unless you are going to try to test out of at least two classes there is no real cost benefit to Acer Placer. Not to mention, if the student continues to take 12 credits we essentially don't lose anything. I can understand their reasoning to save money. The argument that we will suffer monetarily simply because of a small percentage of our students not taking upwards of 10 credits over the course of their 60 to 120 credit university career is silly. Not to mention tuition and fees are used to pay for services and resources to support students - most of which are not used by the students. Yes, we are money grubbers and developmental math is our method of staying in the black.
The new policies apply to all students, no matter when they started at WSU, according to Kohl.
Because the “Math Mastery” test takes over on Aug. 25, students who were counting on testing out through AccuPlacer are in a pinch.
“They should have to give more notice,” said Bushell. “I just need to test out of math to get my degree. ... I have approximately 30 days to do it.”
Interesting if you can test out of three classes over the course of 8 weeks, why would you have problems simply completing once class over 16 weeks? How much notice would you require? 8 weeks? The change was made at the beginning of Summer semester which was the first week of May. It's been at least 11 weeks since then not to mention another four weeks until the deadline goes into effect. If you had wanted to do the Acer Placer course, you could have done it twice in the time give. Thirty days is four weeks, what were you doing the other four weeks?
Van Wagoner says every change that’s been made has been with the goal of having students take fewer math classes, and get to graduation.
“We want them to be successful in their math,” she said.
She knows the changes make for a complex situation, and encourages students to meet with advisers on a regular basis.
Ever since we heard about this change I have asked every student how they intend to complete their Math requirement. Those that said that they were doing Acer Placer, or even that they "intended to test out" that there were changes and that they needed to talk to the Developmental Math Department before paying for anything. Most of the things that students experience difficulty with could have been either prevented, fixed, or avoided by talking to an advisor. Yes, we try to contact students about policy changes, but we are limited by the information students give us. I've been involved in initiatives to contact students and many do not have current or correct contact information. Others still do not return correspondence which may indicate that they don't receive it, read it, or care about it. If students don't try to stay in contact with us there is no way to verify that we can reach them.
“If there is any student who has any kinds of concerns about math, I would be glad to meet with them,” she said.
Contact reporter Becky Wright at 801-625-4274 or bwright@standard.net. Follow her on Twitter at @ReporterBWright.
Overall, I thought the reporter did a decent job showing both sides. I am continually amazed at the lengths people will go to find a way around math. It seems that if some people put the effort they dedicate to complaining, circumnavigating, and trying to work the system to just doing what is asked of them in the system they would be done. Yes, math is hard. Yes, it is abstract, Yes, you will rarely, if ever, see it the same way that it is shown in the text book. Yes, it takes time you would rather use to do other things. So does a lot of other things and yet we do them. Taxes, insurance, immigration, legal proceedings, raising children, dating, recovering from illness. Yet people do those things too. Yes, those examples are all individual and different. People still do it. Math is required for a college degree and so you do it if you want the degree. In your work life there may be times you have to do something undesirable for your boss. Think of this the same way. If you have difficulty ask for help. If that person can help you, ask someone else - just like anything else that's hard. There are legitimate disabilities that prevent people from succeeding in math classes - get help for them, we will accommodate you as needed. I am more than willing to acknowledge the difficulties these students have experienced in math. I am not willing to consider this petition as being the slightest bit useful.
Update: As it turns out this article was useful to the Developmental math Department at Weber State. Kathy VanWagoner said that she wanted to do a press release when they made changes but the PR department wouldn't do it. Then this article came out and she was required to do a press release.
