IMPLEMENTING “THE MATH YOU NEED, WHEN YOU NEED IT” TUTORIALS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE EARTH SCIENCE CLASSES: A COMPARISON OF FINAL LAB AND COURSE SCORES

In 2012, the author attended a Science Education Resource Center (SERC) workshop in Seattle, WA to learn how to use the online tutorials called “The Math You Need” (TMYN) www.serc.carleton.edu/mathyouneed/ to help students successfully prepare for math intensive concepts associated with labs.

In 2013, the author implemented the system in his earth science classes during both the Spring and Fall semesters. The purpose of implementation was to improve the mathematical skills students needed to successfully complete the assigned labs. Initially, a pre-class assessment was completed by students using the state of Washington mathematics assessment and placement system (www.wamap.org). Then, prior to selected labs, each student was required to use TMYN tutorials and then take the corresponding wamap assessment. Finally, each student completed a post-class assessment identical to the pre-class assessment.

In 2014, pre-and post-assessment results from each 2013 semester were tabulated, and final lab and course scores were compared to 2012 earth science class lab and course scores earned without TMYN. Small classes taught each semester were combined to produce one dataset for each calendar year. Two datasets were compiled: one comparing final lab scores, and the other comparing final course scores.

The results indicated that the means of the final lab scores were equal, with no statistical difference measured, which was indicative of no intervention using TMYN tutorials. However, in comparing the final course scores, a difference was noted between the means. This led the author to infer that the final course scores reflected a difference in the two teaching methods indicating that an intervention occurred to reflect that difference and that the use of TMYN may have had a role in that difference since the final lab scores and the final course scores were highly correlated.

The author will continue using TMYN in his earth science classes and may expand its use to other science classes he teaches.