This paper compares the effectiveness of contextualized developmental intermediate algebra to the more traditional developmental intermediate algebra approach, for students at two community college campuses located in two counties in the Pacific Northwest. We assessed four student outcome measures of effectiveness: likelihood of passing algebra,…

This paper presents 'expert opinions' on what should be taught in a first-year linear algebra course at university; the aim is to gain a generic picture and general guiding principles for such a course. Drawing on a Delphi method, 14 university professors--called 'experts' in this study--addressed the following questions: What should be on a…

Due to low success of traditional, postsecondary remediation mathematics, The Maryland Mathematics Reform Initiative First in the World Grant (MMRI-FITW) sought to develop and implement a statistics pathway as an alternative to traditional algebra-based math, to accelerate developmental mathematics students' progress into credit-bearing…

Mathematical proof is a logically formed argument based on students' thinking process. A mathematical proof is a formal process which needs the ability of analytical thinking to solve. However, researchers still find students who complete the mathematical proof process through intuitive thinking. Students who have studied mathematical proof in the…

This paper analyses student views on an e-learning intervention that incorporated a content development tool and computer algebra systems, aimed at improving performance and applicability of mathematics knowledge. The study deliberately relied on open source tools, with high usability both online and offline, that can be customized to address the…

While the lion's share of mathematics education research in linear algebra has been concerned with the conceptual aspects of students' learning, this study focuses on procedural knowledge that undergraduates can develop in a typical first-year course. The study analyzes the methods that a large cohort of second-semester students applied in a final…

Mathematics faculty created a model for intermediate algebra integrating principles from the science of learning. The redesigned curriculum revolved around two big ideas (solving and graphing) and provided students with information about the formation of long-term memories, the benefits of distributed practice, the impact of physiological aspects…

Requiring that students enrolled in college algebra to spend hours in a computer lab has been a practice in colleges and universities to improve success and retention. In part, because students come with different backgrounds, skills, and the computer lab environment allows for personalized supplemental instruction and tutoring. However, the way…

This study describes how nine university professors managed their teaching when a shift from lecturing to inquiry-based learning was mandated in a large enrollment course, linear algebra for math majors. We describe the tensions that emerged and how they were resolved, in part via the production of worksheets that were used in teaching. We…

College algebra has been noted as a critical course in post-secondary institutions because it serves as a gateway for major selection and college completion. Combinatorial topics like repeatable permutations are often overlooked in K-12 and undergraduate curricula. Likewise, students' achievement and motivation are affected by the type of…

Our field has generally reached a consensus that active-learning approaches improve student success; however, there is a need to explore the ways that particular instructional approaches affect various student groups. We examined the relationship between gender and student learning outcomes in one context: inquiry-oriented abstract algebra. Using…

This study examines whether the first exam grade in a managerial finance course is a significant predictor of a student's final course grade. Mathematical preparedness, measured by grades and number of times required to pass college algebra and business calculus, was also investigated. The data include observations from 214 students from a…

Mathematics educators view the equals sign as a bidirectional relation symbol, but the authors have observed that students might not have such flexibility in their understanding of the equals sign. The authors have observed that students have a hard time viewing mathematical properties (for example, log (MN) = log (M) log (N)) with bidirectional…

The purpose of the current study was to examine the preferred mobile learning features higher education Emirati students use to make sense of mathematics and to determine if these Emirati students valued a mobile device as an essential tool to learn mathematics. Both students and instructors used the Texas Instruments Nspire: Computer Algebra…

Data-driven decision making is a critical leadership skill. This study describes how leadership at a four-year university used extant data to improve student outcomes. The University identified the high rate of first-time-in-college (FTIC) student withdrawal/failure in initial algebra courses as having a detrimental effect on other student success…