WEST PLAINS, Mo. – Officials at Missouri State University-West Plains are banking that two new developmental education programs implemented this fall will help students who struggle in math or English master those skills quickly and encourage students to continue their education and achieve their goals.
The programs, made possible with a five-year, $2.2 million federal Title III grant awarded to the university in 2010, are designed to accelerate the students’ mastery of mathematics or writing skills before they move into the more rigorous academic requirements of their chosen degree field.
“What’s important about these new math and writing initiatives is that they allow for both mastery of concepts and acceleration,” said Mirra Anson, director of developmental education. “Statistics show the longer the educational pipeline, the more exit points students have to leave college before obtaining their degree. We want them to accomplish their goals as soon as possible while mastering the basic skills they need, not only for their classes but also for every day life.”
Anson pointed out approximately 60 percent of students enrolled in two-year institutions across the nation test into developmental education courses. For many, the need to successfully complete these courses before moving on becomes an obstacle. “We want developmental education to become a bridge, not a roadblock; therefore, our focus in these new initiatives is to improve the outcomes of our developmental education courses,” Anson stressed.
To that end, officials in Missouri State-West Plains’ math department implemented two sections of combined developmental math courses that employ the Emporium model of student learning. The Emporium model replaces traditional instructor lectures with a computer-mediated learning resource center featuring interactive software and on-demand assistance from an instructor and math tutors. Based on the results of placement testing and the course’s pre-testing, students are given a program of study specifically designed to help them master the skills in which they are the weakest.
“This program allows us to determine what each student needs to know,” Anson said. “Because it is mastery based, students cannot move on to the next level until they demonstrate their proficiency of the material in their current module.”
Although it’s only been five weeks since the new program began, Math Specialist Thora Broyles said she’s seeing positive results. “I’m seeing students who never felt like they could succeed before realizing they can, and this is exciting!,” she said. “Those students who need more time to grasp a concept have more time, and those who can fly are flying.”
Broyles said she is seeing a broad range of skills among students in the program. A few have quickly progressed through the modules that make up the university’s entry level developmental math class and have begun working on the modules for the intermediate developmental math class, while others are still working to complete the entry level modules. Broyles believes that a few of her students will complete all three levels of developmental math courses by the end of the semester.
One student who is sold on the new program is freshman David Brown, a non-traditional student from West Plains. Brown worked over 20 years at a local manufacturer but recently found himself without a job when the company moved his position to one of its foreign plants. Given the option of transferring to another of the company’s facilities or taking advantage of federal and state displaced worker programs, he chose the latter and enrolled at Missouri State-West Plains this fall.
“I felt it was a no-brainer,” he said of his decision to go to college. “This is something I should have done a long time ago.”
During the admission and enrollment process, Brown was placed in the new developmental math program to bring him up to speed on his skills. “The only math I had in high school was basic math,” he said. “This program has been challenging, but I really like it. I’m loving math. It’s what I do to unwind at the end of the day, really,” he said.
“I also like the fact that I can do homework whenever I want, and it (the program) lets me know immediately if I understand the concepts. I don’t have to wait until I see the results of the test,” he added.
ENGLISH PROGRAM
The developmental English program works in a similar way in that it streamlines the university’s developmental writing course with its entry level composition course, giving students the ability to complete both courses at the same time.
Developed by the Community College of Baltimore County in Maryland, the Accelerated Learning Project (ALP) program requires students who test into the developmental course to attend not only the entry level composition course, but also a writing lab immediately following the composition course
during which students can receive additional help in developing their writing skills one-on-one with the instructor and writing tutors. Students can ask questions about and further discuss concepts presented in the composition class, have their writing reviewed on the spot for errors and ways in which their pieces can be written better, and work on basic writing skills such as grammar and punctuation.
“Those of us who teach basic writing always thought we could do better and could do something more effective for students,” said Leigh Adams, assistant professor of English and coordinator of the ALP program. “After hearing Peter Adams of the Community College of Baltimore County talk about his success with this model at a conference two years ago and about how it shortens the pipeline to graduation for students and increases their retention and graduation rates, it seemed like something our students could benefit from. I’ve long thought many of our basic writers could do this with the additional support ALP provides, and I’m glad we’re doing this. The students I have this semester are doing strong work, and the ability to let them work with strong writers in their classroom is a bonus.”
Students enrolled in the program also had high praise for its approach. “I took this course because I liked the fact that after taking ENG 110 (Writing I), this class (Introduction to College Composition – ENG 100) is almost like a tutor itself,” said Matthew Kowerduck of Noble. “Ms. Adams helps us understand anything that you might have had questions about in the last class. I found myself only a third of the way through this class and beginning to enjoy writing a little more.”
“I chose to take the ALP version of ENG 100 with ENG 110 because I know that writing papers are the biggest assignments in college,” added Houston resident Jessica Spauldin. “Without a proper understanding, I was bound to fail until both courses were taken. This class is a good way for me to be able to get a more personal approach.”
Anson said university officials are pleased with the early results they are seeing with the ALP program, as well. “So far, this approach has improved the writing proficiency of our students much better than enrollment in two separate courses,” she said.
Missouri State-West Plains will further develop the math and English initiatives in the spring and expand tutoring opportunities, both online and face-to-face. “We are providing academic opportunities and support to more students than ever,” Anson said. “Our goal is to become a bridge rather than a barrier to student success, and this is just the beginning.”
DAVID BROWN, a non-traditional freshman from West Plains, works on an assignment in the new math lab at Missouri State University-West Plains. The lab is part of a pilot computer-mediated, developmental education program that gives students the ability to master the math skills in which they are the weakest at their own pace before moving to the next level. The lab and the new math program were made possible with funds from a $2.2 million federal Title III grant awarded to the university in 2010. (Missouri State-West Plains Photo)