Math Literacy at Portland Community CollegeA year in review and discussion of challenges.

Major Differences found at Portland Community College• Two terms

– Math Literacy at PCC is split into a two term sequence, MTH 58 (4 credits) and MTH 98 (4 credits)

• College Success and Career Guidance Course– MTH 58 has a co-requisite course, CG 58 (1 credit) through the College

Success and Career Guidance department

• Pre-requisites– Completion of Oregon High School Algebra I or equivalent (or higher)

with a C or better within the last three years or MTH 20, WR 80 and (RD 80 or ESOL 250)

Major Differences found at Portland Community College• Time In Class

– The MTH 58 class is run two days a week, the first day for 1hr 50min and the second day for 2hr, 50min

– The CG class is immediately following the 1hr 50min MTH 58 class

– MTH 98 is run two days a week, for 2hr 20min each day

• Size– At the moment we are taking 28 students into MTH 58 or MTH 98

Challenges During Our First Year• Buy-in

– Math department

– Administration

– Advising

– Other programs and disciplines

– This relates to helping enrollment in the math literacy courses

– State level coordination

– A meeting in October 2014 to standardize curriculum in MTH 105 in order to allow allow MTH 98 to be a pre-requisite to MTH 105 which many satisfies 4 year degree requirements

Challenges During Our First Year• Advising

– Students came into Math Literacy:

– Advised that it was “an easy course”

– Not understanding the nature of the course: taught in groups, large computer technology component, heavy emphasis on the application of mathematics

– Not understanding what the CG course was. Some students thought it was a “study hall” and many missed weeks of class

– Students with learning differences were largely advised to take the Math Literacy course

– Accommodation issues, note taker? Time extension?

– Added challenges to class dynamics (one class had ~75% of class with significant DS issues)

Challenges During Our First Year• College Success and Career Guidance Class (CG 58)

– Good in theory, mixed results in practice

– Needs buy-in from students and instructor

– Course grades: We originally intended for students to have to pass BOTH MTH 58 and CG 58 to be able to move onto MTH 98

– What grade do we give a CG student if they don’t pass MTH 58?

– More curriculum overlap and coordination needed

– All other CG classes are elective, this is the only one students would be required to take

MATH CG?

Challenges During Our First Year• Soft Skills

– Reading skills

– The class is reading intensive. Students are unused to reading in math classes and/or have difficulty reading in general

– Challenges for ESOL students with the amount of reading

– Computer skills

– Difficulties navigating the internet, saving files, uploading files, etc

– 1 credit MTH 58 specific Excel class created to help (in week 3 now)

– Issues with the required calculator

– Organization issues in general (i.e., paying attention to deadlines and time management especially with regards to online homework)

Challenges During Our First Year• Class / Rooms

– Room size

– We currently enroll 28, making 7 groups of 4. A maximum of 24 is ideal.

– Having a dedicated room?

– Having a lab assistant or TA?

– Computers, or at least some computers in the room

– Dynamics in general

– Group work

– group roles

– DS students

– Personalities

– Pacing

Have a dedicated room for Math Literacy

Maximum class size of 24 students

Create or have a computer class or workshops for students during the first week

Print out whatever sections you will cover during the first week for students who did not buy the book or are waiting for it to arrive

Have folders with groups roles in them for every group ready to go

Model and reinforce appropriate reading strategies for reading the text

Basic Advice for Starting Your Own