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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.
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