Posted 1:40 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29, 2013
A group of freshmen aim to learn college entry-level math and, ultimately, save time and money on the path to their degree.
[caption id="attachment_25813" align="alignleft" width="550"]
UW-L students in the FastTrack Program.[/caption]
A group of 37 incoming freshmen at UW-La Crosse arrived on campus a week earlier than other students. They aimed to learn college entry-level math and, ultimately, save time and money on the path to their degree.
Through the FastTrack program, students took math classes online for six weeks and spent a week on campus, Aug. 26-30, taking math courses. The classes are a refresher on content likely learned in high school. Students took the Math Placement Exam Thursday, at the end of the course, in attempt to test into higher level math classes.
“Not only will they be better prepared for college-level mathematics classes, the students will also have built relationships with faculty, staff, and fellow UW-L students prior to the start of the semester,” says Jennifer Kosiak, mathematics professor and FastTrack instructor.
Last year’s program yielded a high success rate with 37 of the 38 students in the program moving into a higher level math class. This allowed some to skip a semester or entire year of math.
[caption id="attachment_25816" align="alignleft" width="550"]
Students in the FastTrack program have the opportunity to test into higher level math courses.[/caption]
UW-L’s 2012 FastTrack program also served as a pilot project for a Massive Open Online Course, which UW-L faculty and staff developed in 2012. It showed the MOOC creators the potential of learning this entry-level math in an online environment. As the MOOC was designed using the FastTrack material, this year’s FastTrack program uses the MOOC platform.
The FastTrack program will continue next year as the third year of the UW System Growth Agenda Grant. Future students can learn about the FastTrack option during freshman registration in June 2014.
The success of the program involves the support of numerous departments, faculty and staff on campus, notes Kosiak. FastTrack instructors include Maggie McHugh, Robert Allen and Kosiak, in addition to several UW-L math and math education students serving as tutors.
Learn more about UW-L’s FastTrack program.
—UWL—
UW-L students in the FastTrack Program.[/caption]
A group of 37 incoming freshmen at UW-La Crosse arrived on campus a week earlier than other students. They aimed to learn college entry-level math and, ultimately, save time and money on the path to their degree.
Through the FastTrack program, students took math classes online for six weeks and spent a week on campus, Aug. 26-30, taking math courses. The classes are a refresher on content likely learned in high school. Students took the Math Placement Exam Thursday, at the end of the course, in attempt to test into higher level math classes.
“Not only will they be better prepared for college-level mathematics classes, the students will also have built relationships with faculty, staff, and fellow UW-L students prior to the start of the semester,” says Jennifer Kosiak, mathematics professor and FastTrack instructor.
Last year’s program yielded a high success rate with 37 of the 38 students in the program moving into a higher level math class. This allowed some to skip a semester or entire year of math.
[caption id="attachment_25816" align="alignleft" width="550"] Students in the FastTrack program have the opportunity to test into higher level math courses.[/caption]
UW-L’s 2012 FastTrack program also served as a pilot project for a Massive Open Online Course, which UW-L faculty and staff developed in 2012. It showed the MOOC creators the potential of learning this entry-level math in an online environment. As the MOOC was designed using the FastTrack material, this year’s FastTrack program uses the MOOC platform.
The FastTrack program will continue next year as the third year of the UW System Growth Agenda Grant. Future students can learn about the FastTrack option during freshman registration in June 2014.
The success of the program involves the support of numerous departments, faculty and staff on campus, notes Kosiak. FastTrack instructors include Maggie McHugh, Robert Allen and Kosiak, in addition to several UW-L math and math education students serving as tutors.
Learn more about UW-L’s FastTrack program.
—UWL—