Student success in math focus of college
By Joshua Fried, News Writing Student
Everybody knows that math is all about solving problems.
Now many people in the math department are working to solve one of the hardest problems on campus — how to enable more students to pass their math classes.
It’s no secret the problem exists, said Tamara Carter, Math Department director. She said the numbers tell it all.
About half the students who enroll in developmental math classes fail to finish, causing them not to finish their degrees.
About 60 percent of all OCCC students have to take at least one developmental, or pre-college level, math class before they can enroll in the college math courses required for their degree.
The math department is trying to improve the pass rate by offering numerous ways to get help.
The Math Lab added three new instructors to its faculty this semester and has created weekly mini-lectures to help students enrolled in pre-college level classes including Basic Math, Elementary Algebra and Intermediate Algebra, Carter said.
The instructors, Zach Austin, Devon Gunter and Daniel Bakewell, are working with professors in the classroom, helping students individually in the math lab and presenting mini-lectures on various areas of math, Carter said.
These instructors give students different perspectives, Carter said. They can help a student catch up or advance in his or her classes and offer numerous ways to get help.
They supplement the videos, computer programs, and online textbooks available in the Math
The new mini-lecture service seems to be making a big difference, said Linda Knox, math professor.
Currently, she said, general help sessions and topic-specific sessions are offered.
The lectures take place throughout the week. A schedule is available in the math lab and is posted on the math department website, www.occc.edu/math.
The lectures are taught like a class with the exception that they are much more relaxed, said Bakewell.
“Students have (the) freedom to express their ideas and often have the ability to change the course of the mini-lecture.”
Answering a student’s questions is the ultimate goal of the mini-lectures.
“Students are welcome to come in with any questions or problems that they are struggling with and we answer as many of these questions as time allows,” Austin said.
Austin has been working at OCCC for seven years as a lab assistant and has been tutoring in math for more than 10 years.
“I [love] the school’s focus on students and their success,” said Austin in an e-mail message.
His focus is basic math and elementary and intermediate algebra. He also offers individual help to students in the Math Lab.
Students have been very enthusiastic about having full time professors available for individual assistance, Austin said.
Both full-time and adjunct faculty will hold office hours in the math lab, Knox said.
Student enthusiasm continues to grow as more students use the lab instructors.
“As the semester has progressed, the demand for one-on-one help from individual students has grown exponentially,” Austin said. “We definitely do not have any trouble staying busy.”
For Bakewell, a student’s success is the most rewarding.
“I see a lot of happy faces leaving the testing center knowing that they just passed a test and many times this [is] due to the individual attention they received,” he said.
