Case Studies

DeVry University

Textbooks in Use with MyMathLab

Developmental Mathematics: Basic Mathematics and Algebra, 1e, 2008, Lial, Hornsby, McGinnis, Salzman, Hestwood; additional material imported from Introductory and
Intermediate Algebra, 3e, 2006, Lial, Hornsby, McGinnis

MyMathLab Course Structure

Course Design

DeVry University courses are offered on traditional full-service campuses, from satellite locations, and online. Teaching and learning are based on a Mastery Learning philosophy in which a grade of at least 80 percent is considered mastery level. The grading scale is as follows: A = 90 percent or above, B = 80–89 percent, and F = less than 80 percent.

The majority of classes are taught in eight-week sessions. On-site classes are held in a lab setting and meet eight hours per week. Students work in a self-paced environment, and many complete the three-course sequence in two sessions.

Assessments

Courses consist of an entry exam, a skill check, study plan assignments, homework, pretests, unit exams, and a final exam. Final-grade distribution is as follows:

80 percent	Tests and final exam
15 percent	Homework assignments
5 percent	Participation and attendance

Students take a quiz after completing all homework for a unit and must score at least 80 percent to take the unit test. All tests and pretests take place in a proctored setting. Students may take unit tests three times and the final exam twice. Only the highest score is used.

MyMathLab Implementation

MyMathLab contributes 95 percent to each student’s final course grade. All student work—homework, quizzes, and tests—is generated by and completed within MyMathLab. Individual course sections are copied by a campus coordinator from a master course.

All work is recorded in the MyMathLab Gradebook.

MyMathLab Course Results

DeVry University operates year-round on a trimester basis. Each trimester is divided into two 8-week sessions. In the trimester immediately preceding systemwide implementation of MyMathLab in summer 2005, the A/B rate was 39 percent. Summer 2007 on-site, full-campus 2007 A/B rates increased to 68.4 percent; overall A/B rates were 65.1 percent.

Fall 2003	Summer 2007
Without MyMathLab	With MyMathLab
39.0%	65.1%

Table 1. Percentage of Overall A/Bs before and after MyMathLab Redesign

Conclusions

Redesign of DeVry University’s entry-level mathematics courses resulted in a significant improvement in success rates, which have increased every trimester since implementation of MyMathLab. The goal of the redesign was to double the success rate to 80 percent, with an intermediate goal of 70 percent. During the spring 2007 trimester, 54 university centers and all 23 campuses offered at least one entry-level math course. Two campuses and 15 centers had a success rate above 80 percent. Six campuses and 14 centers had success rates of 70 to 80 percent.

The Entry Level Math Team has sent a best-practice form around the system and plans on issuing a summary of best practices prior to the 2008 summer trimester.

DeVry University

School Years:	4
Courses:	Introduction to Algebra Basic Algebra Algebra for College Students
Environment:	Traditional
Type of Data:	Success Rates
Date	Fall 2003–Summer 2007