INCORPORATING QUANTITATIVE SKILLS TO IMPROVE STUDENT SUCCESS IN INTRODUCTORY GEOSCIENCE LABORATORY COURSES

The Math You Need When You Need It (TMYN) tutorial modules were introduced as a pilot project into introductory geoscience courses at Los Angeles Valley College in summer 2010 at a time when the Oceanography and Geology laboratory courses were experiencing shrinking enrollments and completion rates. Students expressed frustration and surprise that introductory laboratory courses required math skills, and the fear of, and deficiency in basic math skills appeared to be major obstacles to student success. Based on the success of the pilot project, TMYN tutorial modules were incorporated into the Geology and Oceanography laboratory courses which meet once a week for three hours. Although the modules remain open to the students 24 hours a day for the entire semester, the first 45 minutes of the three-hour lab is dedicated to reviewing and practicing the module/s needed to complete the laboratory exercise for that class session. Students complete the required module assessment during the laboratory class if time permits, or on their own. This session will include discussions on the development and selection of module content and the implementation process. In addition, assessment results from the laboratory classes will be presented and compared, as well as the results of a student attitudinal survey toward math which has been administered since the pilot program in 2010.