ERIC Number: EJ1174810
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1557-5284
EISSN: N/A
Impact of Course Policy Changes on Calculus I DFW Rates
Norton, Paran; Bridges, William; High, Karen
Journal of STEM Education: Innovations and Research, v19 n1 p41-47 Feb-Mar 2018
This paper examines the impact of departmental policy changes on the trend in DFW proportions for introductory calculus at a large research university, where DFW denotes the proportion of students receiving a grade of D, F, or withdrawing from the course. We defined three distinct policy periods: Traditional (2002-2005), Active Learning (SCALE-UP) (2006-2013), and Return to Traditional (2014-2016). Regression analysis showed DFW proportions were increasing during the Traditional period, significantly decreased after the switch to SCALE-UP, remained fairly consistent during the SCALE-UP period, and then significantly increased during Return to Traditional. Individual trends for D, F, and W proportions were also analyzed. The two policy changes had the greatest influence on the trend in F and W proportions. Potential factors that could influence a student to withdraw from the course were examined. Students who withdrew had midterm averages similar to students who failed the course during the SCALE-UP period, but their averages were significantly lower than the F students during the Return to Traditional period.
Descriptors: College Students, College Mathematics, Mathematics Education, Calculus, Introductory Courses, Educational Change, Academic Persistence, Academic Failure, Withdrawal (Education), Grades (Scholastic), Regression (Statistics), Educational Trends, Teaching Methods, Departments
Institute for STEM Education and Research. P.O. Box 4001, Auburn, AL 36831. Tel: 334-844-3360; Web site: http://www.jstem.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: South Carolina
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A