Campus Connection

[caption id="attachment_18706" align="alignnone" width="770" caption="UW-L's innovative approach to math education — such as its FastTrack program in which students take their formulas to math to campus sidewalks — is adding up to success. More than 1,000 will take UW-L's “massive open online course” — MOOC — starting Monday, Jan. 28. "][/caption]

More than 1,000 have signed up for math refresher course

An 11-year-old math whiz who wants to be more challenged. A school bus driver hoping to help riders with their math. An 83-year-old checking off a bucket-list item These are just three of the more than 1,000 people who will start class through a unique online course at UW-La Crosse Monday, Jan. 28, when students head back to campus for the spring semester. The online students from 40 states and nearly 40 countries are taking part in a free developmental level course to fine-tune their math skills. The refresher course is geared to help first-generation and lower-income students catch up on mathematics so they don’t have to take extra math courses when they get to, or return to, college. Others have signed up to reach a life goal. “We’re excited to have such a good response from throughout the U.S. and from other parts of the world,” says Bob Hoar, a UW-L mathematics professor leading the project. “We’re hoping to help smooth the transition into college, while at the same time helping others achieve life-long goals.” The “massive open online course” — MOOC — that stretches worldwide is funded through a $50,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. While most MOOCs currently available cover information in upper-level courses, UW-L’s teaching-and-learning model tackles college readiness. Students will log onto the course at any time through Desire2Learn, an online learning management system. During seven weeks, they will watch video lectures and participate in online assignments. They can receive direct help from online tutors — undergraduate math education majors at UW-L and UW-Milwaukee — who will problem solve with white screen boards and text messaging. Grades and certificates will be sent to students completing the work. UW-L is leading the unique online effort because it has already tested the concept — with promising results. Using start-up funding provided by UW System, UW-L launched a “Fast Track” pilot program in July 2012 that involved 38 students whose test scores showed a need for developmental math instruction. Following the six-week online course, participants’ scores on the math placement exams increased significantly. All but one of the participants improved to the point where they could enter college-level math and science courses and not have to pay tuition for remedial classes. While the course starts Monday, Jan. 28, people can still enroll for it through the first two weeks of classes. Find more at: http://uwlax.edu/MathMOOC.