Case Studies

Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Textbooks in Use with MathXL

Algebra and Trigonometry, 3e, 2007, Beecher, Penna, Bittinger

MathXL Course Structure

Course Design

MathXL forms the linchpin of Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s (SIUC’s) multiphase, seven-year redesign of College Algebra. Program implementation began in fall 2006 and comprised homework assignments and optional multimedia learning aids. Class met three times per week, there was one section, and there was no required lab time. Over the course of spring and summer 2007, required lab time and online quizzes were added.

By spring 2009, there were five sections, all of which met three times per week (two lectures, one lab) and use of MathXL features was expanded. Unlike in traditional courses, where content may vary by instructor, all redesign sections have similar course content, lecture notes, and assignments.

Students may receive help via open labs (five days a week, 6-9pm), department Help Sessions, and instructor office hours. MathXL provides multimedia learning support from students’ own computers or from any computer on campus, as well as online help 24/7.

Assessments

Students complete a total of 44 assignments: 32 homework, six quizzes, and six tests. Approximately 80 percent of all assignments are graded by MathXL—all homework, all quizzes, and about one-third of the tests—thereby offering students immediate feedback and the opportunity to regenerate problems for more practice.

MathXL Implementation

In addition to using MathXL for homework, quizzes, and grading purposes, Mussa employs MathXL’s e-mail announcements, individual and course assignment settings, and study plan features.

Customizing MathXL’s study plan enables Mussa to retain control of course content while enhancing his teaching style with technology. His students are presented with
exactly the practice problems and concepts that he has covered in class.

Grades are kept in the MathXL Gradebook, enabling students to have daily access to their progress.

MathXL Course Results

As indicated in Tables 1–7, student success in MathXL-enabled sections consistently and significantly surpassed that of traditionally instructed sections. Final exam grades were higher; withdrawal rates were lower.

Mussa notes that by using the departmentally common final exam as a comparative measure, he avoids any discrepancy that might arise due to variations among instructor grading or testing standards.

In a spring 2009 survey conducted in the mathematics lab and via e-mail, 100 percent of those students who had used MathXL responded that it was helpful to them; 95 percent responded that they would use the program again and that they would recommend it to others.

In a spring 2009 report, the manager of SIUC’s Trueblood Tutoring Lab stated that since fall 2008, attendance has more than doubled—a comment supported by the spring 2009 survey, in which 73 percent of those responding had visited the lab three or more times.

In the same report, the lab manager noted that those students using MathXL asked fewer questions and had a better understanding of what they needed help with when they did have questions. She recommended that more professors implement MathXL into their curricula.

A MathXL-enabled section of Trigonometry was taught in spring 2009. There was no required lab, however assignments, testing, and course management were similar to the MathXL-enabled College Algebra sections described in this report. The class median on the common final exam was 140/200 compared to the overall median of 108/200.

Grade	Using MathXL 2 lectures, 1-2 labs	Traditional
A	19.2%	8.6%
B	21.4%	9.6%
C	24.6%	17.7%
D	13.5%	18.7%
F	21.3%	45.4%

Table 1. Final Exam Grades, Fall 2007 to Spring 2009 (n=1,028)

Grade	Using MathXL	Traditional
A	27.9%	9.6%
B	11.8%	9.1%
C	16.2%	18.7%
D	16.2%	22.5%
F	27.9%	40.1%

Table 2. Final Exam Grades, Fall 2007 (n=334)

Grade	MathXL	Traditional
A	16.7%	10.4%
B	18.2%	10.4%
C	18.2%	17.9%
D	21.2%	17.9%
F	25.7%	44.4%

Table 3. Final Exam Grades, Spring 2008 (n=242)

Grade	MathXL	Traditional
A	16.3%	6.4%
B	32.7%	9.5%
C	22.4%	13.8%
D	12.3%	15.1%
F	16.3%	55.2%

Table 4. Final Exam Grades, Fall 2008 (n=502)

Grade	MathXL	Traditional
A	17.6%	9.1%
B	18.8%	9.7%
C	38.8%	21.5%
D	7.2%	19.9%
F	17.6%	39.8%

Table 5. Final Exam Grades, Spring 2009 (n=318)

Semester	MathXL	Traditional
Spring 2009	75.2%	40.3%
Fall 2008	71.4%	29.7%
Spring 2008	53.1%	38.7%
Fall 2007	55.9%	37.4%
Total	65.2%	35.9%

Table 6. Final Exam Grade of A, B, or C, Fall 2007 to Spring 2009 (n=1,028)

Semester	MathXL	Traditional
Spring 2009	92.4%	82.3%
Fall 2008	71.5%	63.5%
Spring 2008	85.7%	64.2%
Fall 2007	79.0%	75.0%
Total	82.2%	71.3%

Table 7. Retention, Fall 2007 to Spring 2009 (n=1,028)

Mussa notes that by using the departmentally common final exam as a comparative measure, he avoids any discrepancy that might arise due to variations among instructor grading or testing standards.

In a spring 2009 survey conducted in the mathematics lab and via e-mail, 100 percent of those student who had used MathXL responded that it was helpful to them; 95 percent responded that they would use the program again and that they would recommend it to others.

Conclusions

Short-term departmental plans include expanding the use of MathXL from six college algebra sections to 20 sections across the department: College Algebra, Intermediate Algebra, Trigonometry, and Precalculus. This expanded use of MathXL means an exponential increase in the number of students using MathXL per semester—from about 180 to more than 700. The next challenge is to create more lab space.

"MathXL places the responsibility for learning back onto the student," says Mussa. "Once students learn how being proactive can benefit them, they can proceed to their next class and succeed, no matter what the teaching scenario. MathXL helps students establish a foundation of how to work and learn effectively. It’s a benefit that lasts long after they’ve ceased using the product."

Southern Illinois University Carbondale

School Years:	4
Courses:	College Algebra
Environment:	Hybrid
Type of Data:	Final Exam Grade, Final Exam Success, Retention
Date	Fall 2005–Spring 2009

"I can’t imagine ever going back to how we taught before."
— Dan Mussa
Southern Illinois University Carbondale