A PILOT PROJECT TO IMPROVE MATH SKILLS IN INTRODUCTORY GEOSCIENCE CLASSES AT A TWO-YEAR COLLEGE

The “Math You Need When You Need It “tutorial program was incorporated into an introductory geoscience class at Los Angeles Valley College as a pilot project during the summer 2010. “Math You Need When You Need It “provides supplemental instruction and gives students the quantitative knowledge they need just before they use it in geoscience courses. The tutorial program includes a series of on-line math modules that cover quantitative topics that are important in introductory geoscience course content. Each module includes a set of practice problems and an on-line quiz that is graded and automatically submitted to the instructor.

Students enrolled in Introduction to Oceanography at Los Angeles Valley College during the 2010 summer session completed practice modules and on-line quizzes in unit conversions, calculating density and slopes, hypsometric curve and graph interpretation, plotting points, and estimating best-fit lines. In addition to the modules, a pre and post test was given to track student progress and improvement, and an attitudinal survey was administered to the students by the Office of Research and Planning at the end of the course.

Statistical results of the online quizzes, pre and post test, student participation, and the attitudinal survey and will be presented, as well as the future plans for continued incorporation of “Math You Need When You Need It “into the geoscience curriculum at Los Angeles Valley College.