Case Studies

Chicago State University

Textbooks in Use with MyMathLab

Developmental Math (paperback edition), 1e, 2007, Martin-Gay

MyMathLab Course Structure

Course Design

Prior to fall 2007, Chicago State University offered a three-semester remedial mathematics sequence: Basic Mathematics, Basic Algebra, and Intermediate Algebra. Approximately 90 percent of all CSU students were placed into a developmental mathematics class. In fall 2006, CSU began offering condensed, 8-week sessions of the developmental math courses. Each section met the same number of minutes as its 16-week counterpart.

In fall 2007, CSU further revamped the developmental mathematics sequence by replacing the sequence format with a single course, Applied Intermediate Algebra; by replacing three textbooks with one; and by requiring that students complete all homework in MyMathLab.

Assessments

Students have homework as well as chapter and gateway exams. Some instructors give quizzes. Exams are created by a course coordinator and are common to all sections.

MyMathLab Implementation

Use of MyMathLab contributes 25 percent to each student’s final course grade. Homework is completed in MyMathLab, and exams are based on MyMathLab assignments. All instructors use the Gradebook to monitor student progress.

MyMathLab Course Results

Final exam results for spring 2007 developmental mathematics courses were typical of the past. Pass rates—scores of at least 70 percent—ranged from 24.8 to 68 percent. In spring 2008, faculty were thrilled at the high MyMathLab-enabled final exam pass rate of 83.9 percent, particularly since the three-semester sequence was now taught in 16 weeks. The spring 2008 course also had a 49.3 percent overall final exam pass rate (including students who didn’t complete the course)—an indication that about half of the students completed the entire remedial sequence in a single semester. In previous semesters only a very small percentage had completed the sequence in two or three semesters.

	Semester	Final Exam Pass Rate for Students Who Completed the Course
Basic Mathematics	Spring 2007	68.0%
Basic Algebra		62.5%
Intermediate Algebra		24.8%
Applied Intermediate Algebra	Spring 2008	83.9%

Table 1. Comparison of Spring 2007 and Spring 2008 Final Exam Pass Rate

Conclusions

CSU has concluded that the adoption of MyMathLab played a positive role in student success by motivating students to practice and helping them persevere. Students learned that doing the homework prepared them for the exams, and instructors saw right away which students were completing homework assignments and which weren’t.

Another remarkable result from the shift to a MyMathLab-based, single developmental mathematics course was the extremely high success rate in certain types of problems. Consistently 99 to 100 percent of students were able to multiply binomials and evaluate squares of binomials, compared with about 70 percent in the former Basic Algebra.

Chicago State University

School Years:	4
Courses:	Applied Intermediate Algebra
Environment:	Traditional
Type of Data:	Final Exam Score
Date	Spring 2007–Spring 2008