EFFECTIVE MATHEMATICS REMEDIATION IN INTRODUCTORY GEOSCIENCE COURSES USING THE MATH YOU NEED, WHEN YOU NEED IT

The Math You Need, When You Need It (TMYN) modules are online student resources that review basic mathematical concepts in the context of the geosciences. Recent implementations of these asynchronous, online modules suggest that students are more likely to succeed when they are engaged and complete the modules. Results from a variety of institutions show that student perception of task value and their expectancy of success, as well as some instructional methods, can influence student interaction with TMYN and, thus, the effectiveness of mathematics remediation. TMYN’s just-in-time and necessity approach to mathematical learning, with tutorials assigned prior to students encountering a quantitative concept in a geoscience context, give students both motivation to complete the tutorials and opportunities for transfer of quantitative skills from one context to another. Pre- and post-test scores from implementations at 9 diverse institutions show that TMYN modules increase student quantitative skills. In addition, survey responses indicate that the majority of students perceive the modules as helpful. Class size and focus, concepts covered, and grading stakes seem to have a negligible influence on student completion and success rates, illustrating TMYN’s flexibility in a variety of higher education instructional settings. Modular, asynchronous, and online resources such as TMYN are a promising solution to many of the challenges of including diverse quantitative material in introductory geoscience courses.