!!!!!! Evaluation!Report!of!the!RT34Funded! Components!of!the!Distance!Calculus! Program,! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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1 1 EvaluationReportoftheRT34Funded ComponentsoftheDistanceCalculus Program, Center&for&Education&Integrating&Science,& Mathematics,&&&Computing&(CEISMC)& Evaluation&Team& Georgia&Institute&of&Technology Preparedby: JeremyLingle,&Ph.D.,&Research&Scientist,&RT3&Lead&Evaluator& GregMayer,&Ph.D.,&Postdoctoral&Fellow& DonnaWhiting,&Ph.D.,&Associate&Director,&RT3&Project&Director& & & Funded&by&the&Georgia&Department&of& Education*through*the*U.S.* Department)of)Education)Race%to%the% Topgrant

2 Evaluation*Report*of*the*RT33Funded*Components*of*the* Distance*Calculus*Program,* * TableofContents Executive*Summary* 3 Methods( 3 Key(Findings( 4 Programmatic(Recommendations( 5 Background*on*the*Distance*Calculus*Program*(DCP)* 6 History(of(the(DCP( 6 Historical(Outcomes( 8 Purpose*of*RT33Funded*Work* 9 Changes(to(DCP(Course(Structure(and(Design( 10 Methods* 12 Results* 13 Expansion(of(the(DCP( 13 Enrollment(Data( 14 Demographics(of(DCP(Participants( 15 Student(Performance( 16 Student(Engagement(and(Satisfaction(in(the(New(Recitation(Section( 17 DCP(Alumni(Academic(Performance(at(Georgia(Tech( 19 Benefits(of(the(DCP:(Alumni(Survey( 21 Intention(to(Persist(in(STEM( 23 Coordinator(Focus(Groups( 24 Lessons*Learned*and*Plans*for*the*Future* 27 Appendix* 30 2

3 Executive*Summary* ThisreportprovidesfindingsfromtheevaluationoftheRacetotheTop(RT3) fundedcomponentsofthegeorgiainstituteoftechnology sdistancecalculusprogram (DCP).TheDistanceCalculusProgramisadualenrollmentprogramthatallowsadvanced mathematicsstudentsatgeorgiapublichighschoolstocompletegeorgiatechcalculusii andiii.uponsuccessfulcompletionofthesecourses,highschoolstudentsreceivegeorgia Techcredit.ThisreportprovidesadetaileddescriptionoftheDistanceCalculusProgram, examinesdcpalumniacademicperformanceatgeorgiatech,anddescribestheimpactof RacetotheTopontheDCP.ThisinternalevaluationwasconductedbytheGeorgiaTech CenterforEducationIntegratingScience,Mathematics,andComputing(CEISMC). GeorgiaTechCEISMC sracetothetopdcpworkbeganinfallsemester2011and endedinspringsemester2014.theracetothetopgoalandactionitemrelatedtothe DistanceCalculusProgramstates:GOAL*1:*Offer*a*rigorous*course*of*study*in* mathematics,*the*sciences,*technology,*and*engineering.*action*(7):*offercollege4 levelcalculusiiandiiitoadvancedhighschoolstudentsthroughgeorgiatech/ceismc, whichhaspioneeredtheuseoflivevideoconferencingforthesecourses.thert3initiative willexpandthereachoftheprogramby150students(to400/year),includeadditional schoolsystemsandindividualstudentsinrural 1 counties,andwillofferotheradvanced distancecoursessuchascomputerscience,introductoryengineering,orpost4ap chemistryorphysics. TheDCPtraditionallyutilizedavideo4conferencingsystemtodelivertheCalculusII andiiicoursestowholeclassgroupsofstudentsinpartnerhighschools.thecoursewas offeredintwoparts:lectureandrecitation.therecitationsection,normallytaughtbya graduatestudent,allowsstudentstoreviewlecturematerialandaskquestions.through RacetotheTop,GeorgiaTechwasabletopilotanonlinerecitationsection,whichallowed forparticipationbysinglestudentsfromschoolsaroundthestate. Methods* ForthepurposeofunderstandingstudentlearningintheDCP,gradesonfour quizzesandonefinalexampersemesterwereexaminedforparticipantsinacademicyears 2011/12,2012/13,and2013/14.Studentengagementinthenewonlineformatwasalso measuredthroughanengagementsurveyadministeredatthreepointsacrossthe2013/14 academicyear.thelevelofengagementofstudentsinthenewonlinesectionwasof interestbecausethephysicallearningenvironmentwasdifferentfromthetraditionaldcp livevideo4conferencingenvironment,theprimarydifferencebeingattendancewithout otherstudentsbeinginthesamephysicallocation.satisfactionwith,andbenefitsof,the courseandonlinesectionwerealsocapturedthroughanend4of4coursequestionnaire. 1ForDCP, rural referredtoanydistrict/schoolthatwasoutsideoftheatlanta4metroarea,although itisacknowledgedthatsomeareasoutsideofthisareaalsohavehighpopulationdensity,acharacteristicthat istypicallyincludedinruraldefinitions. 3

4 AdditionalmeasurestocapturethebenefitsofparticipationinDistanceCalculus werecollectedthroughanalumnisurveyandschoolsystem4leveldcpcoordinator interviews.thealumnisurveywasadministeredtoalldcpparticipantswhomatriculated togeorgiatechduringthe2012/13and2013/14academicyears.thesurveycaptured benefitsrelatedtopreparationforcollegecoursesandtheperceptionofskillsgained throughdcpthataidedparticipantsinmeetingcollegeacademicrequirements.alsoof interestwasthedcpparticipants IntentiontoPersistinSTEMfields,whichwasalso capturedthroughthealumnisurvey.thedcpcoordinatorswithineachparticipating districtprovidedinputregardingtheirperspectivesofthebenefitsofdcpfortheir students,theirteachers,andtheirschools/districts.thisdatawasgatheredthrough participationineitherafocusgrouporatelephoneinterview. Key*Findings* Increased*involvement*of*individual*students* TheRT3initiativeallowedGeorgiaTechtoexpandthereachoftheDCPbyincreasingthe involvementofindividualstudents,particularlyinruralschoolsystems.(asaresultofrace tothetopfunding,anonlinedcprecitationsectionwascreated.thissectionallowed individualeligiblestudents(thosewithactscoresabove30orsatscoresabove2000, GPA sofatleast3.5,andadvancedplacement(ap)calculusscoresof3or4)toparticipate inthedcp.upuntilthistime,thedcpprogramstructurewasgearedtowardspartnering withdistrictsandschoolsinmetroatlanta.studentsnotapplyingfromapartnerschool werenotaccepted.forexample,asingleeligiblestudentinanon4partnerschoolordistrict outsideofmetroatlantaapplyingtotheprogramwasnotaccepted.duetotheracetothe Topinitiative,forty4twostudentsparticipatedfromruralschooldistrictsordistricts withoutpriorinvolvement. Increased*interaction*between*students*across*different*schools*and*districts** Utilizationofanonlinerecitationsectionallowedindividualstudentsindifferent geographiclocationstointeractwitheachotherandtheteachingassistant(ta),ageorgia Techpost4docwithaPhDinmathematics.Thetechnologyallowedstudentsto communicatewitheachotherincludingworkinginsmallgroupsandposingquestionsto theteachingassistantandeachother.studentsalsohadtheabilitytodiagramquestions usinganonlinewhiteboard.thetraditionaldcpvideo4conferencingformatallowed studentstoaskquestionsoftheta,butnotdiagramquestionsusinganonlinewhiteboard, animportantcomponenttoincreasingunderstandingofchallengingmathematicsconcepts. DataalsosuggeststhatparticipationinDCPpreparesstudentstoparticipateinonline learning,anexperiencetheymaynothavehadinhighschool. Higher*achievement*by*students*in*the*online*recitation*section* Datasuggeststhatstudentsintheonlinerecitationsectionperformedbetterinthecourse whencomparedtoparticipantsinthetraditionalvideo4conferencingsectionandfreshman levelgeorgiatechstudents.itshouldbenotedthatdifferencesingradingandinthegroup membershipmightalsocontributetothesedifferencesinperformance;thereforethis findingismadewithcaution. 4

5 Increased*confidence*in*college3level*study*by*advanced*mathematics*students*** ResponsesfromtheDCPalumnisurvey,ofthosewhomatriculatedatGeorgiaTech,suggest thattheyweremoreconfidentabouttheirabilitytosucceedincollege(66% agree or stronglyagree ),developedmorerealisticexpectationsofcollege(63% agree or stronglyagree ),andwerebetterpreparedacademicallyforcollege(60% agree or stronglyagree )becauseoftheirparticipation.alumnialsoreportedimprovedstudyand timemanagementskillsasaresultofparticipatinginthedcp. Programmatic*Recommendations* 1. Consider*utilizing*an*online*format*for*all*recitation*sections.* Theonlinerecitationsectionallowedparticipantstointeractwitheachotheracross districtsincludingworkinginsmallgroups.additionally,participantshadtheabilityto drawanddiagramtheirquestionsusinganonlinewhiteboard.slightlybetterachievement bystudentsintheonlinesectioncomparedtofreshmanlevelgeorgiatechstudentsand DCPstudentsinthetraditionalsectionpossiblyindicatesonlinerecitationincreases studentachievement.whilecausalitycouldnotbedetermined,itshouldbenotedthat onlinerecitationsectionstudentsenteredthecoursewithlowergpasandsatscoresthan studentsinthetraditionalvideoconferencingsectionandperformedbetter. 2. Develop*a*DCP*awareness*campaign*targeted*towards*rural*school*districts.* TheonlinerecitationsectionprovidedGeorgiaTechwithamechanismtoprovideCalculus IIandIIItoindividualeligiblestudents,particularlyfromruralareas.Anawareness campaigncouldserveasarecruitmenttoolforthedcpprogramandpossiblyfurther increaseparticipationbystudentsinruraldistricts.studentsinruralareascurrentlylearn abouttheprogrambyvisitingthegeorgiatechwebsite,byword4of4monthorparticipating inthegovernor shonorsprogram.theofficeofadmissionsspecificallyrecruitedstudents whowerealoneintheirschoolswhowouldqualifyfordcpatgovernor shonorsduring thesummerof2014,andacceptedthosestudentsintotheprogramaftertheofficialclosing date. 3.**Invest*in*developing*a*K312*pipeline*program,*with*the*goal*of*increasing*the*number*of* diverse*eligible*students.* WhileRacetotheTopincreasedparticipationinDCPbystudentsinruralschooldistricts, dataindicatesparticipationbyracialand/orethnicallydiversestudentsdidnotincrease overthethree4yearracetothetopprojectperiod.whilethiswasnotastated4goalofthe RacetotheTopcomponent,thelowparticipationrate(approximately5%)byracialand ethnicallydiversestudentsindicatesthatnotenougheligiblestudentsareinthedcp pipeline.developmentofaprogramthatfocusonincreasingparticipationandachievement inacceleratedmathcoursesatthemiddleandhighschoollevelsbyracialandethnically diversegroupsofstudentsshouldbeinvestigated. 5

6 Background*on*the*Distance*Calculus*Program*(DCP)* TheGeorgiaInstituteofTechnology,incollaborationwithvariousschoolsystemsin Georgia,hasbeenofferingsophomorecollegelevelcoursesviadistancelearningto advancedhighschoolstudentsthroughitsdistancecalculusprogram(dcp)since ThisreportprovidesadetaileddescriptionoftheDistanceCalculusProgram,examines DCPAlumniAcademicperformanceatGeorgiaTech,anddescribestheimpactofRaceto thetopontheprogram. History*of*the*DCP* AccordingtoMorleyetal(2009),inthefallof2004,aconversationbetweenastaff memberfromgeorgiatech scenterforeducationintegratingscience,mathematicsand Computing(CEISMC),andaFultonCountySchoolSystemcurriculumcoordinator,revealed therewasagrowingnumberofstudentsintheschoolsystemtakingapcalculusduring theirsophomoreorjunioryears.thecurriculumcoordinatorwasintheprocessof examiningoptionsforadvancedstudentstocompletefreshmanlevelcollegecalculusat GeorgiaTechwhilestillinhighschool.Astate4leveldualenrollmentoptionwasalreadyin place.becausetheoptionallowedhighschoolstudentstoenrollinuniversitysystem courses,georgiatechandthefultoncountyschoolswereabletodevelopaprogramthat allowedstudentstoenrollatgeorgiatechandcompletethetwo semesterfreshmanlevel calculuscoursesequence(calculusiiandcalculusiii).however,duetotransportation costsandlackoftime,itwasphysicallyimpossibleforfultoncountystudentstoattend coursesonthegeorgiatechcampus.therefore,offeringinstructionthroughtheuseof distancelearningwasexploredandimplementedasaviableoption. Beginninginthefallof2005,theDistanceCalculusProgram(DCP)beganby providingfreshmancalculustostudentsinfiveschoolswithinthefultoncountyschool Systemusingadistance4learningformat.Studentssuccessfullycompletingthecoursewith agradeofa,b,orcearned4credithoursofgeorgiatechcreditforeachsemester.the creditwastransferabletootheruniversitiesacrossthecountry.inyearone,34students fromfivefultoncountyhighschoolsenrolledintheprogram.bythe school year,theprogramgrewtoinclude205studentsin21highschoolsfromfourschool systems.table1listsparticipationintheprogramfrom ( 2 Morley,T.,Usselman,M.,Clark,R.,Baker,N.(2009).Calculus(at(a(Distance:(Bringing(Advanced( Mathematics(to(High(School(Students(through(Distance(Learning.PaperpresentedattheASEE2009Annual Conference&Exposition. 6

7 Table(1(Participation(in(the(first(four(years(of(the(DCP.( # School # # Appli- # Students Year Seniors Juniors Soph. Systems Schools cants Enrolled HighschoolstudentsenteringtheDCPwere(andstillare)requiredtohaveamath GPAof3.5,completetheAdvancedPlacement(AP)CalculusABorBCcourseattheirhigh school,andearna4orhigherontheabcalculusexamora3orhigheronthebcexam. AdvancedPlacementcourses,developedbytheCollegeBoard,offercollege4levelcurricula andexaminationstohighschoolstudents.americanhighereducationinstitutionsgrant placementandcoursecredittostudentswhoobtainhighscoresontheexaminations.it shouldbenotedthatthesearetheminimumrequirementstomeeteligibilityfordcp,but doesnotguaranteeacceptanceduetothecompetitivenessoftheprogram.accordingto informationpresentedinthedcpeligibilityguidelinespostedonthedcpwebsite 3,the middle50%ofadmittedstudentsin scoredfrom30to33ontheactand2000 to2250onthesat. TheCollegeBoardprovidesthefollowingdescriptionsofAdvancedPlacement Calculuscourses: CalculusAB: APCalculusABisroughlyequivalenttoafirstsemestercollegecalculus coursedevotedtotopicsindifferentialandintegralcalculus.theapcoursecovers topicsintheseareas,includingconceptsandskillsoflimits,derivatives,definite integrals,andthefundamentaltheoremofcalculus.thecourseteachesstudentsto approachcalculusconceptsandproblemswhentheyarerepresentedgraphically, numerically,analytically,andverbally,andtomakeconnectionsamongstthese representations. 4 CalculusBC: APCalculusBCisroughlyequivalenttobothfirstandsecondsemester collegecalculuscoursesandextendsthecontentlearnedinabtodifferenttypesof equationsandintroducesthetopicofsequencesandseries.theapcoursecovers topicsindifferentialandintegralcalculus,includingconceptsandskillsoflimits, derivatives,definiteintegrals,thefundamentaltheoremofcalculus,andseries.the courseteachesstudentstoapproachcalculusconceptsandproblemswhentheyare 3 guidelinesretrievedseptember10,2014 4TheCollegeBoard(2014).AP(Calculus(AB(Overview).Retrievedfrom overview.pdfonseptember10,

8 representedgraphically,numerically,analytically,andverbally,andtomake connectionsamongsttheserepresentations. 5 Applicantspaythenormal$50universityapplicationfeetoapply.TheAccel Programcoverscoursetuitionandapercentageofnecessarybooksforstudentswhoenroll inuniversitysystemcoursesduringtheirjuniororsenioryearinhighschool.specifically, theaccelprogramisforstudentsateligiblehighschoolsthatwishtotakecollegelevel courseworkforcredittowardsbothhighschoolandcollegegraduationrequirements. 6 Thisprogrameliminatedthemostobviousstudentfundingissue,thoughtherearestill costsassociatedwiththedistancetransmission.thecostsfortheprogramare$100/per studentpersemesterplus$ $ perschoolfordistancelearningequipment. ThetraditionalDCPmodelconsistsoftwosemester4longcourses.FromMondayto Friday,8:05amto8:55am,highschool(HS)studentsenrolledintheDCPgatherin classroomsintheirrespectiveschoolsforlive,synchronouslecturesandrecitations mediatedthroughvideo4teleconferencing(vtc)equipment 7.OnTuesdayandThursday mornings,studentsaresubdividedintorecitationsectionswhereteachingassistants (TAs)solveproblemsandanswerquestionsthatstudentsmayhave. DCPstudentsenrolledinthetraditionalformatrelyonVTCequipmenttoconnectto liverecitationsontuesdayandthursdaymornings.thevtcequipmentcarriesalive videostreamoftheirinstructorandtheirtas:distancestudentssimultaneouslyseeand heartheirtas,andwhattheyarewritingonawhiteboardwithatabletpc.studentscan posequestionstotheirta.theremotesitewhereastudentisaskingaquestionisshown onlargescreensattherearoftheroomswhererecitationsareheld.however,thereisno wayforstudentsatdifferenthighschoolstoworktogetherduringrecitations,andthereis nowayfordistancestudentstodrawonthewhiteboardthattheirtasuse. Historical*Outcomes* Programenrollmentnumbershavesteadilyincreasedsince2005,andthehigh schoolstudentsthatcompletethedcpreceive,onaverage,highergradesthanthegeorgia Techstudentswhocompletethesamecoursesoncampus(Table2).Theprogramhasalso beenaneffectiverecruitmenttoolforattractingacademicallyadvancedstudentsinthe statetogeorgiatech.studentswhocompletedthedcpinitsfirsttwoyearshavebeen foundtoperformverywellintheirfreshmanyear(table3). 5TheCollegeBoard(2014).AP(Calculus(BC(Overview).Retrievedfrom overview.pdfonseptember10, GACollege411(2009).AccelProgram.Retrievedfrom am.aspxonseptember10, Morley,T.,Usselman,M.,Clark,R.,Baker,N.(2009).Calculus(at(a(Distance:(Bringing(Advanced( Mathematics(to(High(School(Students(through(Distance(Learning.PaperpresentedattheASEE2009Annual Conference&Exposition. 8

9 Table(2(Academic(performance(of(students(in(the(DCP(in(the(first(four(years.( Semester # of # of Districts Students A B C D/F/I Withdrew Fall % 21% " " " Spring % 16% " 3% " Fall % 8% 3% " " Spring % 7% 1% 1% " Fall % 16% " " 1% Spring % 13% 1% " " Fall % 9% 2% 2% " On-Campus Students " Spring % 45% 17% 4% " Table(3(Academic(performance(of(students(in(their(freshman(year(who(completed(the(DCP(in( the(first(two(years(of(its(existence(and(matriculated(to(georgia(tech.( Yearin Program #Completed Program #Enteredthis University %Had4.0GPA FallTerm %Had3.5orBetter GPAFallTerm % 76.50% % 78.10% Purpose*of*RT33Funded*Work* InordertomeettheRT3goalofofferingarigorouscourseofstudyinmathematics, thesciences,technology,andengineering,georgiatechofferedcollegelevelcalculusiiand IIItoadvancedhighschoolstudents.TheRT3initiativeallowedGeorgiaTechtoexpand thereachofthisprogrambydevelopinganonlineformat,whichallowedindividual studentsfromschoolsystemsaroundthestatetoparticipate.priortoracetothetop,only studentsfromspecificpartnerschoolsinmetroatlantacouldparticipate.duringtherace tothetoptimeperiod,allstudentsingeorgiapublicschoolswithcompetitiveacademic scores,fromanyschooldistrict,wereeligibletoapply.thegeorgiatechofficeof Admissionsacceptedstudentsintotheprogrambasedonthestrengthoftheiracademic record. TheRacetotheTopgoalandactionitemrelatedtotheDistanceCalculusProgram states:goal*1:*offer*a*rigorous*course*of*study*in*mathematics,*the*sciences,* technology,*and*engineering.*action*(7):*offercollege4levelcalculusiiandiiito advancedhighschoolstudentsthroughgeorgiatech/ceismc,whichhaspioneeredtheuse oflivevideoconferencingforthesecourses.thert3initiativewillexpandthereachofthe programby150students(to400/year),addadditionalschoolsystemsandindividual 9

10 studentsinrural 8 counties,andwillofferotheradvanceddistancecoursesuchascomputer Science,IntroductoryEngineering,orpost4APchemistryorphysics. Changes*to*DCP*Course*Structure*and*Design* Anewrecitationsectionwasdevelopedbasedonmultipleconsiderations.First,in ordertoexpandthereachofdistancecalculus,ruralschooldistrictswereincludedthat hadlimitednumbersofstudents.intheestablishedschoolsystems,manystudents attendedthelecturesandrecitationsectionstogetherinaclassroomintheirschools. However,inthesenewdistrictswhereveryfew,oftensingular,studentswere participating,theinabilitytointeractwithotherstudentswasdeemedtobepotentially detrimentaltotheirlearning.therecitationsectionthatconsistedprimarilyofstudents whowerealoneintheirdistrictswasestablishedtoencourageasenseofcommunityand, pedagogically,toallowtheabilitytoconstructknowledgewithotherstudents. TherationaleformovingfromtheVTCformattoaweb4conferencingenvironment wasnotonlytoallowmoreflexibilityintheabilityofstudentstoaccessthecourseandto participateintherecitationsections,butalsotoaddressthecost4prohibitivenatureofthe course.asmentionedearlierinthisreport,currently,forthetraditionaldistancemodel, GeorgiaTechcharges$100/studentforthetechnicalassistance,andthisamountiscapped at$3k/schoolshouldanyoneschoolhavemorethan30studentsintheprogram.however, thereisacaponthetotalschooldistrictforthistechnicalassistancefeeat$15k. Additionally,thevideoconferencingequipmentcosts$6,000to$8,000,whichcanbe prohibitiveforschoolswithsmallerenrollments. TheformatofthenewrecitationsectionreplacesVTCequipmentwitha combinationoflivewebcastsforlectures,andweb4conferencingsoftwareforrecitations. Eachstudentinthisformatmustbe1)connectedtoacomputerwithanInternet connection,and2)loggedintotheweb4conferencingsoftwareduringtherecitations. Figure1showsascreencaptureoftheweb4conferencingenvironmentduringarecitation ofthespring2013semester.personalidentifiershavebeenredactedwithgreyboxes. StudentswereabletointeractwiththeTAandotherstudentswithaninstantmessaging toolanddrawanonymouslyontheboardtoaskandanswerquestions. Equipmentwasloanedtostudentsinthenewrecitationformat.Asitcanbedifficult towritemathematicalexpressionsonawhiteboardwithoutagraphicstablet,allstudents inthepilotandthetawereprovided WacomBambooSplash tabletsfortheentire durationofthedistancecalculusprogram.studentsinthe academicyearwere alsoprovidedmicrophonesiftheydidnotalreadyhaveone. Breakoutroomswereusedtofacilitategroupworkactivitiesinroughly40%ofthe recitationsheldduringthetwocohortyears.duringgroupwork,studentsinarecitation 8 ForDCP, rural referredtoanydistrict/schoolthatwasoutsideoftheatlanta4metroarea,although itisacknowledgedthatsomeareasoutsideofthisareaalsohavehighpopulationdensity,acharacteristicthat istypicallyincludedinruraldefinitions. 10

11 sessionmovedoutofa main roomandinto breakout roomswherestudentsworkedin smallgroupsforroughly10to20minutestosolveagivenproblemonashared whiteboard.thetamovedbetweenbreakoutroomstointeractwithstudentsastheywere workingingroups.figure2showsascreencaptureoftheweb4conferencingenvironment duringagroupworkactivityheldinthespring2014semester. NotshowninFigures1and2isthevideofeedoftheTA.Studentsreceivedavideo andaudiofeedoftheta,butthetadidnothaveavideofeedofthestudents.studentswho hadamicrophonecoulduseittospeaktotheotherparticipantsintherecitations. Finally,itshouldbementionedthattheweb4conferencingsoftwareisonlyusedin thenewrecitationformat.studentswhoareenrolledinthisformatviewlivelecturesthat arealsoofferedviaalivewebcast.studentsinthepilotsection,whodidnothaveaccessto VTCequipment,wereexpectedtoviewlecturesinthisway.Thosestudentsviewingthe lecturesthroughthewebcastcanposequestionstotheirinstructorthroughaninstant messagingsystem.alllecturesandrecitationsarearchivedandmadeavailableforstudents toreview. Figure(1(A(screen(capture(demonstrating(the(webVconferencing(environment(in(Wimba( Classroom.(( ( ( ( ( ( ( 11

12 Figure(2(A(screen(capture(demonstrating(the(webVconferencing(environment(in(Adobe( Connect(during(a(group(work(activity.(( Methods* TheevaluationoftheDCPincludedtwoprimaryquestions:(a)Whatwerethe impactsoftheprogramonstudentperformanceintheadvancedmathematicscourses,and (b)whatwasthelevelofengagementofthenewstudentsinthenewrecitationsection? Forthepurposeofunderstandingstudentlearning,students performancesinthe DCPcourseswerecollected,whichincludedfourquizgradesandonefinalexamper semester.thelevelofengagementofstudentsinthisnewrecitationsectionwasofinterest becausethephysicallearningenvironmentwasdifferentfromthetraditionalclassroom, theprimarydifferencebeingattendancewithoutotherstudentsbeinginthesamephysical location.studentengagementwasmeasuredthroughanengagementsurveythatwas administeredatthreepointsacrossthe schoolyear.satisfactionwith,and benefitsof,thecourseandrecitationsectionwerealsocapturedthroughanend4of4course questionnaire. AdditionalmeasurestocapturethebenefitsofparticipationinDistanceCalculus werecollectedthroughthealumnisurveyanddcpcoordinatorinterviews.thealumni SurveywasadministeredtoallthoseinCohort1andCohort2thatmatriculatedtoGeorgia Tech.Thesurveycapturedbenefitsrelatedtopreparationforcollegecoursesandtheir perceptionofskillsgainedthroughdcpthataidedtheminmeetingcollegeacademic requirements.alsoofinterestwasthestudents IntentiontoPersistinSTEMfields,which wasalsocapturedthroughthealumnisurvey.thedcpcoordinatorswithineach participatingdistrictprovidedinputregardingtheirperspectivesofthebenefitsofdcpfor theirstudents,theirteachers,andtheirschools/districts.thisdatawasgatheredthrough participationineitherafocusgrouporatelephoneinterview. 12

13 Results* Expansion*of*the*DCP** PriortoRT3funding,fourschooldistrictswereinvolvedwithDCP:Gwinnett,Cobb, Forsyth,andFultonCounties.TheRT3initiativeallowedanadditional12districtsto participate,noneofwhichhadbeenpreviouslyinvolvedwiththedcp,andmanyofwhich wererural:hall,henry,atlantapublicschools,gainesvillecity,glynn,morgan,oconee, Savannah4Chatham,Colquitt,Upson,DeKalb,andWalton.Figure3indicatesnumberof participatingdistrictspre RT3andcurrently. ( Figure(3(Participating(School(Districts,(PreVRT3(and(Currently( Pre4RT3 * Current 13

14 Enrollment*Data* ThenumberofstudentsthatwereenrolledintheDCPfromFall2011toSpring 2013isshowninTable4below.Approximately940unduplicatedhighschoolstudents participatedinthedcpacrossthethreeacademicyearsofrt3funding.table5indicates enrollmentbydistrict, ( Table(4(Participation(in(DCP(between(Fall(2011(and(Spring(2014( Cohort*1* Cohort*2* Cohort*3* Format* Fall* 2011* Spring* 2012* Fall* 2012* Spring* 2013* Fall* 2013* Spring* 2014* New NA NA Traditional TOTAL Note:(Countsincludestudentsreceivinggradesattheconclusionofeachsemester.( Table5 ParticipationbyDistrict, District* * * * APS Cobb Colquitt DeKalb Forsyth Fulton GainesvilleCity GeorgiaMilitaryHS Glynn Gwinnett Hall Morgan Oconee Chatham Upson Walton NotReported Total* 299* 315* 326* Note:CountswereprovidedbyGeorgiaTechUndergraduateAdmissionsOfficeandmayhaveslight discrepancieswithcountsofstudentswhoreceivedgradesaspresentedpersemesterabove(table4). * 14

15 Demographics*of*DCP*Participants* WhenapplyingtotheDCP,studentswereaskedtoindicatetheirgenderand ethnicity.table6presentsgenderandethnicitydistributiondataforstudentsincohorts1, 2,and3,aswellasforfreshmanGeorgiaTechstudents 9.The Other ethnicitycategory includesstudentswhoseethnicityisunknownandstudentswhoindicatedtheywere AmericanIndian,AlaskanNative,NativeHawaiian,orPacificIslander. TheproportionsofmalesandfemalesamongDistanceCalculusstudentswere similartothoseofthefreshmenclassoverall 10,withjustoverathirdofstudentsbeing femaleacrosscohorts.however,theproportionofstudentswhoindicatedanasian ethnicitywasbetween21%and24%higherinthedistancecalculusprogramthanamong thegeorgiatechfreshmanstudentsacrosscohorts.subsequently,theproportionofwhite, African4American,andLatino/astudentsinDistanceCalculustendedtobelowerthan GeorgiaTechfreshman. Table(6.(Enrollment(by(gender(and(ethnicity(among(Distance(Calculus(participants(and( all(georgia(tech(freshmen. DCP** Cohort*1* Fall*2011* Fall*2012* Fall*2013* GT* DCP** GT* DCP* Freshman* Cohort*2* Freshman* Cohort*3* GT* Freshman* Sample*Size* 299* 2483* 315* 2619* 326* 2244* Female 37% 38% 38% 37% 34% 37% Male 63% 62% 62% 63% 66% 63% African4American 3% 7% 3% 7% 2% 8% Latino/a 4% 7% 3% 8% 4% 6% TwoorMoreRaces 3% 4% 3% 5% 6% 4% White 51% 64% 51% 61% 45% 61% Asian 38% 17% 40% 19% 44% 20% Other 1% 1% 0% 1% 0% 1% Total 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% Note:CountsofDCPstudentswereprovidedbyGeorgiaTechUndergraduateAdmissionsOfficeandmayhave slightdiscrepancieswithcountsofstudentswhoreceivedgradespersemester(table4). AverageHighSchoolGPA,averageAPCalculusscores,andSAT(VerbalandMath) scoresforstudentsincohorts1,2,and3atthepointofenrollmentintheprogramare shownintable7below.averagegpa,sat,andapcalculusscoresaresimilaracrossthe three4yearperiodconsideredforthisstudy,andtheycharacterizetheoverallacademic achievementofthestudentswhohaveenrolledinthisprogramoverrecentyears.students whoenrolledinthenewrecitationformathadslightlylowergpa,sat,andapcalculus scoresonaveragethandidtheirdistancecalculuscolleagues. ( 9GenderandethnicityinformationoftheGeorgiaTechFreshmanclassinTable6doesnotinclude informationrelatedtointernationalstudents. 10SourceofGeorgiaTechfreshmendatapresentedinthissectionwastheGeorgiaTechFactBook: 15

16 Table(7.(Average(GPA,(SAT((Verbal(&(Math(Composite),(and(AP(Calculus(scores(of(students( who(were(admitted(into(the(distance(calculus(program.(( Cohort*1* Cohort*2*(Fall*2012)* Cohort*3*(Fall*2013)* Traditional* Recitation* Format* Traditional* Recitation* Format* New* Recitation* Format* Traditional* Recitation* Format* New* Recitation* Format* Sample*Size* 299* 298* 16* 306* 20* AverageGPA AverageSAT AverageAPCalculus Note:CountsofDCPstudentswereprovidedbyGeorgiaTechUndergraduateAdmissionsOfficeandmayhave slightdiscrepancieswithcountsofstudentswhoreceivedgradespersemester(table4). AverageSATVerbalandMathcompositescoresofenteringGTfreshmanareshown intable8.onaverage,thesatscoresofgtfreshmanwere54to83pointslowerthan thosestudentsincohorts1,2,and3.( Table(8(Cumulative(average(of(SAT((Verbal(&(Math(Composite)(scores(for(Entering(Freshman.(( Year* Composite*SAT*Score* Fall Fall Fall Student*Performance* AsummaryofcoursegradesobtainedbystudentsinCohorts2and3,which includedthenewrecitationsections,areshownintable9below.itshouldbenotedthatall studentsinthedistancecalculusprogramweregivenanopportunitytobeexemptfrom havingtowritethefinalexam:thosewhohadearnedagradeofatleast91.5%basedon theirquizandhomeworkscoresattheendofeverysemesterwereexempt,askedtonot writeit,andassignedafinalgradeof100%ontheexam.assuch,thetablebelowpresents statisticsrelatedtothefinalgrades(whichincludesfinalexamscoresandwouldbe affectedbythispolicy)andstatisticsrelatedtotheaverageearnedonquizgrades(which arenotaffectedbythispolicy). Comparisonsoffinalgradesbetweenthetwogroupsarecomplicatedbecauseeach groupshaddifferenttas,recitationcurriculumandactivitieswerenotidenticalacross sections,andthegradeweightingsandthetechnologiesthatwereusedinthesesections werealsodifferent.gradeweightingsforbothsemestersareshownintable10.students inthenewrecitationformatwereaskedtocompletegroupworkactivities,someofwhich countedtowardstheirfinalgrades.nonetheless,gradedatasuggestthat,onaverage, studentsinthenewformatsectionreceivedequivalentgradestothoseoftheirpeersinthe othersections,andsuperiorgradestothoseattendingoncampus. 16

17 Becauseofthemultiplechallengestocomparingthedatabetweenformatsthatare notedabove,statisticalcomparisonswerenotconductedbecauseoftheinabilityto interprettheseresults.theslightlyhighergradesamongnewdcpformatscomparedto thetraditionaldcpformatmayberesultantfromgreaterlearning,oritmaybeanartifact ofthetas gradingsubjectivities,theformatofthecourse,thesampleofstudentsinthe NewDCPformat,etc.Thegradespresentedbelow,therefore,areprovidedassupporting evidenceofthesuccessofboththestudentsparticipatinginthetraditionalandnewdcp sections.however,giventheconsistentlyhighergradesamongthedcpstudents comparedtotheon4campusstudents,coupledwiththehigheraveragesatscores(see Tables7and8above),itisreasonabletoconcludethatDCPstudentsperformatahigher levelthandotheaveragegeorgiatechstudent,atleastinmathematicscourses.this higherperformance,however,cannotbeattributedtotheirparticipationindcp;rather, theirparticipationindcpmorelikelyreflectstheirabilitytoexcelinmathematics. Table(9.(Final(and(quiz(grade(distributions(obtained(by(students(in(the(DCP(in(2012/13( (Cohort(2)(and(2013/14((Cohort(3).(( Fall*Semester* Spring*Semester* * * quiz*grade* course*grade* quiz*grade* course*grade* * Cohort* * format* Avg.* SD* Avg.* SD* Avg.* SD* Avg.* SD* ( Cohort 2 Cohort 3 Oncampus 89% 9% 91% 10% 76% 12% 79% 12% TraditionalDCP 94% 9% 96% 7% 83% 8% 88% 9% NewDCP 96% 4% 96% 5% 89% 10% 90% 11% Oncampus 83% 12% 88% 11% 83% 10% 84% 12% TraditionalDCP 91% 7% 95% 7% 87% 6% 91% 7% NewDCP 94% 6% 95% 5% 93% 3% 96% 4% Table(10.(Grade(Weightings(for(students(in(the(new(recitation(sections(vs.(all(others(in(the( DCP.( SourceofGrade NewDCP Oncampusand TraditionalDCP Homework 10% 10% Finalexams 25% 25% Quizzes 60% 65% Groupworkinrecitations 5% NA Student*Engagement*and*Satisfaction*in*the*New*Recitation*Section* Becauseacentralpurposeofthenewrecitationsectionwastoallowstudentswho werealoneintheirdistrictstointeractwithotherstudentsinsimilarcircumstancesforthe purposesofprovidingsupportandadditionallearningopportunities,theperspectivesof thestudentswereexamined.anonlinesurveywasadministeredtostudentsinthenew recitationformatinaugust2013,january2014,andapril2014thatcontainedasubsetof 17

18 theitemsadaptedfromthecollegeanduniversityclassroomenvironmentinventory (CUCEI) 11 andasetofopen4endedquestions.theitemsfromthecuceiwereadministered tocapturethechangeinstudent1)satisfaction,2)involvement,and3)cohesivenessover theschoolyear.eachscaleconsistedofsevenlikert4typeratingitemsthatrangedfrom stronglydisagree (=1)to stronglyagree (=4).Satisfactioncapturedthestudents enjoymentofclasses(e.g., Ilookforwardtotakingpartinrecitations ).TheInvolvement scalemeasuredthe Extenttowhichstudentsparticipateactivelyandattentivelyinclass discussionsandactivities (p.42)(e.g., Thereareopportunitiesforstudentstoexpress opinionsinrecitations ).Cohesivenessisdefinedasthe extenttowhichstudentsknow, helpandarefriendlytowardeachother (p.42)(e.g., Studentsinrecitationsgettoknow eachotherwell ).TheaverageratingoneachoftheseconstructsispresentedinTable11 below. Thethreecolumnsunderthe Unmatched headingincludetheresultsfromall studentswhocompletedtheengagementsurveyateachtimepoint.thecolumnsunder the Matched headingincludeaverageratingsforthesubsetofthewholeclassthathad dataavailableacrossallthree4timepoints.theseaverageratingsarepresentedseparately, becausethematchedaveragesarenotimpactedbythedifferencesingroupmembershipat eachtimepoint,whereaschangesintheaveragesintheunmatchedcolumnsmightbe impactedbydifferencesingroupmembership.thelargersamplesizesamongthe Unmatched,however,arevaluabletobetterreflecttheperspectivesofthegroupasa whole. Table(11.(Survey(results(from(the(engagement(survey.( Unmatched Matched(n=7) Construct August January April August January April (n=18) (n=9) (n=10) Satisfaction Involvement Cohesiveness StudentSatisfactionandInvolvementwerewellabovethemidpointof2.5atthe pretest.cohesiveness,however,wasbelowthemidpoint,withanaverageof1.94overall fortheunmatchedsampleand2.17forthematchedgroup(near disagree =2).Overthe courseofthetwosemesters,eachofthethreescalesshowedanincreasefromtheinitial Augustadministration.ConsideringtheMatchedstudents,thelargestchangesfromAugust toapriloccurredinthemeasureofsatisfaction(increaseof0.29,7.2%)andcohesiveness (increaseof0.38,9.5%).theseincreasesarestatisticallysignificant(friedman stwo4way ANOVA,p 0.05).TheInvolvementscaleshowedasmall,non4significantincrease(0.03, 1%). Studentswerealsoaskedanumberofopen4endedquestionsonthesesurveysthat providefurtherdetail.whenasked Howcouldrecitationsbeimproved? manystudents onthesurveysindicatedthattheywouldliketoreplacewimbawithadifferentsoftware. 11 Fraser,B.J.&Treagust,D.F.(1986).Validityanduseofaninstrumentforassessingclassroom psychosocialenvironmentinhighereducation.higher(education(15,(p

19 Forexample,someofthecommentsintheAugust2013andJanuary2014surveyswerethe following. Wimba(classroom(seems(to(be(a(great(learning(tool,(but(also(has(many(bugs.( By(changing(the(program(we(use(for(them,(from(wimba(to(something(else.(( The(main(way(that(recitations(could(be(improved(would(be(if(we(used(some(other(virtual( blackboard(software,(rather(than(wimba,(whose(technical(glitches(are(frequent(and( inconvenient.(( Revelations(are(already(great.(The(software(could(be(slightly(improved...(( ( TwocommentsintheApril2014tothesamequestionwereasfollows. Never(go(back(to(Wimba.(Don't(even(think(about(it.( The(switch(to(using(Adobe(Connect(rather(than(Wimba(was(very(helpful.(If(the(TA(was(shown( how(to(set(everything(up(before(the(semester(began,(it(might(help(things(run(a(little(more( smoothly.( IntheApril2014engagementsurvey,noneofthestudentshadpositivecomments relatedtowimba.overthistimeperiod,thesoftwareutilizedforrecitationschangedto AdobeConnect,aboutwhichstudentshadpositivecomments.Giventhattherecitations switchedfromwimbaclassroomtoadobeconnectinfebruary2014,thesecomments couldreflectsomeofthereasonsbehindtheincreaseinthesatisfactionscoresonthe CUCEI. DCP*Alumni*Academic*Performance*at*Georgia*Tech* Approximately50%ofDCPstudentsmatriculatetoGeorgiaTech.Academicdatafor thesestudentswhocometogtprovidesanideaofthesuccessthatdcpstudentshave oncetheyhavetransitionedtoauniversityenvironment.whenthedatawasavailable,the performanceofthedcpalumniispresentedalongsidethatofthegtfreshmanclass overallofwhichtheyareapart.datapresentedinthissectionincludes:declaredmajors, participationinmathcoursesduringtheirfreshmanyear,andacademicperformancein thosefirstmathcourses.thesedatawerenotyetavailableforcohort3atthetimeofthe preparationofthisreport.asnotedabove,thedcpalumnidataonlyincludesstudents whomatriculatedtogeorgiatech. DeclaredmajorsoftheDistanceCalculusstudentsinCohorts1and2who matriculatedtogeorgiatechareshowninthetablebelow.roughlytwothirdsofthese studentsenrolledinengineering,andover93%ofthesestudentsenrolledintocomputing, engineering,orscience. 19

20 Table(12.(Declared(majors(of(students(in(Cohorts(1(and(2(who(matriculated(to(Georgia(Tech.(( EnrolledFall2012 EnrolledFall2013 DCPCohort1 GTFreshman DCPCohort2 GTFreshman Number*Enrolled*at*GT* 149* 3047* 153* 2673* Architecture 1% 2% 1% 2% Computing 11% 7% 14% 9% Engineering 66% 71% 71% 72% LiberalArts 3% 4% 1% 3% Sciences 16% 7% 11% 6% Business 3% 8% 1% 8% Outof302DistanceCalculusstudentswhomatriculatedtoGeorgiaTech,210(70%) tookanothermathcourseduringtheirfirstyear;ofthese,23(8%)tooktwotofourcourses theirfirstyear.tables13and14presentthecoursestheytook,andthegradedistributions. MostoftheDistanceCalculusalumnithattakemathcoursesatGeorgiaTechcomplete DifferentialEquations,whichisnextintheCalculusprogressionofcourses,andover7% take3000(junior)and/or4000(senior)levelcoursesintheirfreshmanyear.performance intheseclassesbythegeorgiatechfreshmanclassoverallwasnotavailablefor comparison. Table(13.(Courses(that(Distance(Calculus(alumni(completed(at(Georgia(Tech(in(their(freshman( year,(and(the(number(and(percentage(of(alumni(who(completed(them(in(their(freshman(year.( Cohort*1* Cohort*2* * Level* * Course*Title* Number** Percentage** Number** Percentage** 1000 HonorsCalculusII 0 0% 1 1% 2000 DifferentialEquations 91 71% 83 72% AbstractVectorSpaces 6 5% 5 4% LinearandDiscreteMath 7 5% 8 7% CalcIIIforComputSci 4 3% 0 0% SpecialTopics 0 0% 1 1% 3000 AppliedCombinatorics 10 8% 8 7% Probability&Statistics 7 5% 4 3% HonorsProb&Statistics 0 0% 1 1% Statistics&Applications 1 1% 3 3% 4000 CombinatorialAnalysis 1 1% 0 0% IntroToNumberTheory 1 1% 1 1% Total % % ShowninTable14arethedistributionsofgradesobtainedbyDistanceCalculus alumniinthemathematicscoursestheycompletedatgeorgiatechduringtheirfreshman year.forexample,53%ofthegradesthatcohort1studentsobtainedinmathematics coursesintheirfreshmanyearwerea s,31%ofthesegradeswereb s,andsoon.inboth Cohort1and2,over80%ofthegradesthesestudentsobtainedintheirfreshmanyear 20

21 mathcourseswereeithera sorb s.disaggregatedgradespercoursewerenotavailable. Creditattainmentinformationwasnotavailable. ( Table(14.(Average(grade(distributions(obtained(by(Distance(Calculus(alumni(in(mathematics( courses(at(georgia(tech(in(their(freshman(year.( Grade Cohort1 Cohort2 A 53% 47% B 31% 33% C 9% 9% D 4% 3% F 0% 3% W 2% 4% Benefits*of*the*DCP:*Alumni*Survey* Atotalof85DCPalumnirespondedtothesurveyinvitation.Oftheserespondents, 61%attendedtheDCPduringthe schoolyear(Cohort1)and39%attended duringthe schoolyear(cohort2).responseratesforthissurveywere calculatedoutofthe280totaldcpstudentsofcohort1andcohort2whomatriculatedto GTandwhosecontactinformation( address)wasavailable.Theoverallresponse rate,therefore,was30%.onlystudentswhomatriculatedtogeorgiatechwereincluded inthesamplebecauseoftheavailabilityoftheircontactinformation. ThevastmajorityofrespondentsindicatedthattheywerecurrentlytakingSTEM courses(98%).whenaskedtoindicatetheircollegeofenrollment,thelargestgroup indicatedcollegeofengineering(63%),followedbycollegeofcomputing(20%),and CollegeofSciences(16%).TheseproportionsaresimilartothatoftheentireDCPalumni sample,aspresentedpreviouslyinthisreport.itshouldbenotedthatthealumnisample ingeneralisskewedtowardstemmajorsbecauseoftheavailablesamplebeingstudents atgeorgiatech.althoughmanydcpstudentsdointendtopursuestemmajors,some studentswhowereinterestedinnon4stem4relatedmajorswouldlikelyattendother universities.similarly,somestem4interestedstudentsalsoenrolledinuniversitiesother thangeorgiatech.itisunknownhowthestudents responsestothesurvey,particularlyto theratingsofbenefitsoftheirparticipationindcp,maybeimpactedbytheirinterestin engineeringcareers. Demographically,59%ofrespondentsweremaleand41%werefemale.The primaryracialgroupsrepresentedamongrespondentswerewhite(66%),followedby Asian(29%),AfricanAmerican(2%),Hispanic/Latino(1%),andtwoindicatedmultiple groups(2%).theproportionofrespondentsthatwerefemaleisslightlyhigherthanthatof thegeneraldcpalumnipopulationatgeorgiatech(~37%).theproportionofstudents whoindicatedawhiteethnicitywas15%higherthanwhatisfoundinthegeneraldcp alumnipopulationatgeorgiatech. AlumniwereaskedtoindicatethecontributionofDCPonanumberofratingitems. The54pointLikertscaleontheseitemsrangedfrom VeryPoor (=1)to Excellent (=5)or capturedlevelofagreement,rangingfrom stronglydisagree (=1)to stronglyagree (=5). 21

22 22 Oftheserespondents,83%indicatedthattheiroverallexperiencewithDistanceCalculus waseither excellent or good: 31%indicateditwas excellent and52%indicateditwas good. WhenaskediftheywouldrecommendDCPtocurrenthighschoolstudents,96% indicated Yes. Participantswereaskedtoindicatetheirlevelofagreementwithaseriesof statementsaboutthecontributionsofdcp.ninety4sixpercent(96%)indicatedthatthey stronglyagree thatdcpofferedtheopportunitytoearncollegecreditwhileinhigh school(mean=4.95);96%indicatedthattheyeither agree or stronglyagree that participationhelpedtoacceleratetheirprogressiontocollegedegreecompletion(mean =4.70);88%indicatedthattheyeither agree or stronglyagree thatdcpmademore effectiveuseoftheirsenioryearinhighschool(mean=4.46).toalesserdegree,72%of alumniindicatedthatthey agree or stronglyagree thatdcpintroducedthemtocollege academicexpectationsandcollege4levelofstudy(mean=3.89),68%indicatedthatthey agree or stronglyagree ithelpedthemgetintothecollegethattheywantedtoattend (Mean=4.0),67%indicatedthatthey agree or stronglyagree itprovidedgreater academicchallengesthandidothercoursesavailableattheirhighschool(mean=3.88),and 52%indicatedthey agree or stronglyagree itmadetheirstudiesmorerelevanttotheir careergoals(mean=3.45). Figure(4.(Average(Rating(of(Benefits(of(Distance(Calculus((n=(82)( Note:ThreeDCPAlumniSurveyrespondentsdidnotrespondtotheseratingitems. Inaddition,alumniwereaskedtoconsiderskillsthatweregainedthroughtheir participation:66%ofrespondentsindicatedthattheyeither agree or stronglyagree thatparticipationindcpimprovedtheirconfidencethattheycouldsucceedincollege Mademystudiesinhighschoolmore relevanttomycareergoals. Providedgreateracademicchallengesthan didothercoursesavailableatmyhigh Introducedmetocollegeacademic expectationsandcollege4levelstudy. HelpedmetogetintothecollegethatI wantedtoattend. Mademoreeffectiveuseofmysenioryear inhighschool. Acceleratedmyprogressiontocollege degreecompletion. Offeredmetheopportunitytoearncollege creditwhilestillinhighschool. Strongly*Disagree********************************Strongly*Agree*

23 (Mean=3.89);63%indicatedthattheyeither agree or stronglyagree ithelpedthemto developmorerealisticexpectationsaboutcollege(mean=3.63);and60%indicatedthat thattheyeither agree or stronglyagree theyfeltbetterpreparedacademicallyfor college(mean=3.61). Figure(5.(Average(Rating(of(Benefits(of(DC((n=82)( Wasmoreconsidentaboutmyabilityto succeedincollege Developedmorerealisticexpectations aboutcollege Wasbetterpreparedacademicallyfor college Improvedmystudyskills Improvedmytimemanagementskills Note:ThreeDCPAlumniSurveyrespondentsdidnotrespondtotheseratingitems. Alumniwerealsoaskedtodescribethemostimportantreasonthattheychoseto takethedistancecalculuscourseinanopen4endeditem.mostoften,respondentsnoted thedesiretoattaincollegecredit(n=45,58%),butoftentheyprovidedadditional explanationbeyondmerelygainingcredit.studentsalsoindicatedadesiretograduate morequicklyorhaveadditionaltimeforotherpursuitsincollege(n=10,13%)orsimply statingthattheywouldnothavetotakeitincollege(n=7,9%).theothercommon categoryofcommentsfortakingdcwasbecausetheyhadadesireorneedtotakeamath coursetheirsenioryearinhighschool(n=20,26%),manystatingadesiretomaintain continuityintheirmathematicscoursework(n=13,17%),andseveralexplainingthatthe otherlogicaloptionofapstatisticswouldnothelpintheircollegecareers(n=3,4%).a fewstudentsindicatedthattheywantedachallenge(n=4,5%),hadadesiretoknowwhat college4levelcourseswerelike(n=3,4%),andonestudentwantedtotesthim/herselfina college4levelcourseenvironment(1%).twoindividuals(3%)thoughtthatparticipationin thecoursewouldincreasetheirchanceofacceptancetogeorgiatechortoanothercollege oftheirchoice,andthree(4%)wantedagpaboost.finally,onerespondentindicatedthat DistanceCalculuswaslessexpensivethantakingthecourseincollege,oneneededmath creditsforgraduation,andonewastoldtotakethecoursebyaparent. Intention*to*Persist*in*STEM** Strongly*Disagree*******************************Strongly*Agree* Theintentionofrespondentstocontinueonanacademicandcareerpathwayina STEMfieldwascapturedthroughaseriesof10ratingitems.Theseitemswereadapted fromanexistinginstrument 12.Therespondentsindicatedhowwelleachofthestatements 12 Toker,Y.(2010).NonVability(Correlates(of(the(ScienceVMath(Trait(Complex:(Searching(for( Personality(Characteristics(and(Revisiting(Vocational(Interest.Unpublisheddoctoraldissertation,Georgia InstituteofTechnology,Atlanta,GA. 23

24 describedtheirownintentionsusinga64pointratingscale,rangingfrom Veryuntrueof me to Verytrueofme. Thethreeconstructscapturedbythisinstrumentincluded:(a) IntentiontoPursueaSTEMBachelorsDegree,(b)IntentiontoPursueaSTEMGraduate Degree,and(c)IntentiontoPursueaSTEMCareer.Themeanratingforeachitemaswell asthegrandmeanforeachoftheseconstructsispresentedinthefollowingtable. Table(15.(Intention(to(Persist(in(a(STEM(Pathway( Construct/Item( Mean( N" sd" Intention(to(Pursue(a(STEM(Bachelor s(degree( 5.89( Nextsemester,IintendtocontinuetakingcoursesrelatedtoSTEM " 80 " IintendtostayinamajorrelatedtoaSTEM IintendtotakecoursesrelatedtoSTEMduringthefollowingschoolyear Iintendtogetabachelor'sdegreeinamajorrelatedtoSTEM Intention(to(Pursue(a(STEM(Graduate(Degree( 3.75( " " Iamplanningtoapplyforamaster'seducationinafieldrelatedtoSTEM Iintendtogetamaster'sdegreeinafieldrelatedtoSTEM IwouldliketopursueaPhDinaSTEMrelatedarea Intention(to(Pursue(a(STEM(Career( 5.54( " " IcanseemyselfworkinginaSTEMfieldinthefuture IamplanningtospendmylifeworkinginaSTEMfield IintendtodevotemycareertoanarearelatedtoSTEM BothconstructsIntentionstoPursueaSTEMBachelorsDegreeandIntentionsto PursueaSTEMCareerwerehighamongrespondents,averaging5.89and5.54onthe64 pointscale.ratingsrelatedtointentionstopursueastemgraduatedegreewerelower thanotherconstructs,withanaverageof3.75.theaverageratingontheitemcapturing respondents intentionstopursueadoctorateinastemfieldwasthelowest,fallingjust belowthemidpointofthescale(3.18). Coordinator*Focus*Groups* InordertogainfurtherunderstandingofthebenefitsoftheDCPfor(a)thestudents aswellasfor(b)thedistricts,schools,andteachers,thedistancecalculuscoordinatorsfor eachdistrictwereinvitedtoparticipateineitherafocusgrouportelephoneinterview.the focusgroupwasconductedduringtheannualdistancecoordinatormeeting,inmarch 2014.TelephoneinterviewswereconductedduringAprilandMayof2014. AllcoordinatorswhoattendedtheDistanceCoordinatorMeetingprovidedfeedback. Allremainingcoordinatorswerecontactedonmorethanoneoccasionandinvitedto participateinthetelephoneinterviews.participationwasvoluntary.twoagreedto participate.atotalofsevenoutofsixteenor44%ofschooldistrictswererepresented.the participatingdistrictswere:cobb,forsyth,fulton,gwinnett,hall,henry,andwalton.the commentsmadethroughthefocusgroupsandtheinterviewsaresummarizedbelowunder threethemes:(a)benefitsforstudents;(b)benefitsforteachers,schools,anddistricts,and (c)consequencesforstudentswhowerenotacceptedintodcp. 24

25 ( ( Benefits(of(Participation(in(the(DCP(for(Students( Thebenefitsidentifiedbythecoordinatorsalignedwellwiththosemosthighly ratedbystudents.bothcoordinatorsandstudentsindicatedthatdcphelpedstudentsto beacceptedintothecollegesoftheirchoice,providedcollegecredit,alignedbetterwith studentinterests,andpreparedstudentsfortheexperienceofattendingcollege4level courses.inaddition,thecoordinatorsnotedtheconvenienceofdistancelearningversus dual4enrollmentinalocalcollege,whichwasoftenprohibitivetostudents.also, coordinatorsnotedtheinfluencethathavingtheoptionofdcphadonthestudents choice ofmathematicscourses,wheresomestudentsbegantakingthenecessarymathcoursesin earliergradesinordertobeabletoparticipateinthedcpbytheirsenioryear.belowisa summaryofthemainbenefitsforstudentsnotedbycoordinators,alongwithselected quotations. Acceptanceintotheuniversityoftheirchoice o Iknowwehadsomeotherseniorswhowerenotadmittedwhoalsohada lotofapontheirresume.histakeonitwasthatthegtcreditshelpedhim getin. Gainingcollegecredit Preparingstudentsforonlinelearning o DChasallowedstudentstobeexposedto rigorouscontentandlearning environmentthatisuniqueforhighschoolandthewaveofthefuture,a blendedlearningenvironmentwhenpartofitisgoingtobeelectronic. Preparingstudentsforthenecessarystudyskillsneededattheuniversitylevel Preparingstudentsfortherigorofcollegecourses o Ithinkhegotawakeupcallinitially.Idon tthinkitkilledhisgpaor anything.ithinkawakeupcalltohimwasgettinga90andnota98.he realizedtherewasadifferenceinrigorousbetweenahighschoolclassthana collegeclass. Preparingstudentsforcollegeteachingstyle. Providingcoursesthatarealignedwithstudentacademicandcareerinterests o [Wehavea] Growingnumberofadvancedmathematicsstudentsandthis allowsthemtostudysomethingthattheyhaveapassionabout. o IftheylovecalculusandareexcitedaboutitbuthavetotakeAPstatistics,a lotoftimesthattheywillnotlikethecourseandwillslowthemdownina mathtrajectory.[studentsmightthink]idon tknowhowmuchireallylike math.thisisreallyapartofmyfutureidentity,whereasanothertrajectory mightdistractthem. Allowingstudentstostayonthehighschoolcampusratherthantraveltoacollege campus. Motivatingstudentstotakemathcoursesearlierthatwillallowthemtogetintothe DCcourse Providingstudentswithamorerealisticexpectationsofwhatacollegecourseislike 25

26 o Successindistancelearningrequiresthatstudentsbetheirownself4 advocateandincreasetheirorganizationalskillsbeingabletobalanceand navigatethedifferentresources.forexamplecheckingtheir ,which theyareprobablynotaccustomedtoinahighschoolclassroom.beingable tomakesurethattheyareinchargeoftheirlearning. o ThepartnershipwithGTmakesUniversitysomethingthatisrealand relevantanditisnotthatfarawaydistantplaceforkids.itshelpsthem realizethatitsattainableandthatprofessorsarerealpeopletooandthat theyareaccessibleandthattheyhavethatcomfortlevelwiththeprofessors andteachingassistants.itprovidesthatextrabenefit.itisnotthatstrange scaryplacebutaplacethattheycancontinuetostudythethingsthatthey love. Onlineformatandlocationinschoolsexpandsaccesstostudentswhowouldnot otherwisebeabletoattendduetofinancialbarriers. ( Benefits(of(Participation(in(the(DCP(to(Teachers,(Schools,(and(Districts( ( Thecoordinatorsnotedavarietyofbenefitsfortheirdistricts,schools,andteachers. Commonbenefitswererelatedtoimprovingthereputationoftheirschoolbyoffering advancedcoursesandbeingabletoprovidefortheneedsofstudentsthatwereseeking advancedmathematicscourses.inaddition,somecoordinatorsexplainedthathavingdcp availableasanoptionraisedtheexpectationsofteachersandadministratorsfortheir studentsandfortheirmathdepartments.finally,exposuretosuccessfuldistancelearning, particularlythroughweb4conferencing,hasresultedinconsiderationofadditionaldistance learningcoursesandhasencouragedpartnershipsacrossdistricthighschoolsusing similartechnology. ( Increasesdepartmentalexpectationsthatstudentsareabletoperformatahigh level.italsoencouragesmathematicsdepartmentstoconsidertheirownpractices iffewstudentsareperformingataqualifyinglevel. o Theexamplewasprovidedbyanewerdistrictthattheyhadinitiallyviewed onestudentwhowasadvancedinmathematicsasananomaly,butonce exposedtootherdistrictswhohad50or70kids,theyrealizethat there s notsomethinginthewater,sotheremustbeotherstudentsinourdistrict thatcouldqualify. o Increasesexpectationsforoursecondarymathprogramoverall.Ifwehave anendgoalinmindforstudentstoenrollinapcalc.bcandbepreparedto dowellonthatassessment.whenallstudentsweredeniedadmission,they steppedbackandasked Whatarewenotdoingrightasadistricttohave thembecompetitiveinthisprogram, soithasstrengthenedoursecondary mathprogram. Teachers,students,anddistrictsareexpandingtheirperspectivestoconsider additionaladvanceddistancecourses. o Topstudentsaredefinitelylookingoutsidetheboxforoptionsthataremore applicable.theyknowotherthingsareavailablebecauseofdc. 26

27 Involvementimprovesthereputationandcompetitivenessoftheparticipating schools o Itshowswehavethefullpackageandcanserveyourbestandbrightest students. Participationhasexpandedtheschoolsconsiderationofusingvideo4conferencing andonlinetoolsforpartneringacrossthedistrict. TheDistanceCalculusProgramhasbothfueledthedemandfor,andallowedschools tomeetthedemandsformoreadvancedcoursework. Keepsteachersknowledgeableofadvancedcontentandcollege4levelinstructional practices. Consequences(for(students(who(were(not(accepted(into(DCP( CoordinatorsindicatedthatthosestudentswhowereinterestedinDCPbutwere notacceptedtendedtoenrollincoursesthatwerenotascloselyalignedwiththeir academicinterests.thecoursesthatwereoftentakenwereotheradvancedcourses,such asapstatistics,ordual4enrollmentprogramsofferedbylocalcolleges.somecommunities didnothavelocalcolleges.participationindual4enrollmentalsoposedproblemsrelatedto transportation,whichwasoftenabarriertostudents participation.italsocontributedto studentlackofengagementintheirlocalhighschool.finally,thecommunitycollegesdid notalwayshaveadvancedmathematicscoursestomeettheneedsofthesestudents.for example,onestudenttookcollegealgebrathoughhewasclearlypreparedforahigher4 levelmath.inonecase,thehighschoolworkedtodevelopanewcourse.virtualschools offersomeopportunitiesforadvancedmathcourses,buttheprimarychallengeisthelack offacilitators.finally,somestudentstooknomathematicscoursestheirsenioryear. Lessons*Learned*and*Plans*for*the*Future* ThelessonslearnedfortheDCPcourseareasfollows: Theonlinerecitationsectionallowedparticipantstointeractwitheachother acrossdistrictsincludingworkinginsmallgroups.additionally,participants hadtheabilitytodrawanddiagramtheirquestionsusinganonline whiteboard.slightlybetterachievementbystudentsintheonlinesection comparedtofreshmanlevelgeorgiatechstudentsanddcpstudentsinthe traditionalsectionpossiblyindicatesonlinerecitationincreasesstudent achievement.whilecausalitycouldnotbedetermined,itshouldbenoted thatonlinerecitationsectionstudentsenteredthecoursewithlowergpas andsatscoresthanstudentsinthetraditionalvideoconferencingsection andperformedbetter. TheonlinerecitationsectionprovidedGeorgiaTechwithamechanismto providecalculusiiandiiitoindividualeligiblestudents,particularlyfrom ruralareas.anawarenesscampaigncouldserveasarecruitmenttoolforthe DCPprogramandpossiblyfurtherincreaseparticipationbystudentsinrural districts.studentsinruralareascurrentlylearnabouttheprogramby 27

28 visitingthegeorgiatechwebsite,byword4of4monthorparticipatinginthe Governor shonorsprogram.theofficeofadmissionsspecificallyrecruited studentswhowerealoneintheirschoolswhowouldqualifyfordcpat Governor shonorsduringthesummerof2014,andacceptedthosestudents intotheprogramaftertheofficialclosingdate. WhileRacetotheTopincreasedparticipationinDCPbystudentsinrural schooldistricts,dataindicatesparticipationbyracialand/orethnically diversestudentsdidnotincreaseoverthethree4yearracetothetopproject period.whilethiswasnotastated4goaloftheracetothetopcomponent, thelowparticipationrate(approximately5%)byracialandethnically diversestudentsindicatesthatnotenougheligiblestudentsareinthedcp pipeline.developmentofaprogramthatfocusonincreasingparticipation andachievementinacceleratedmathcoursesatthemiddleandhighschool levelsbyracialandethnicallydiversegroupsofstudentsshouldbe investigated. Basedonthedata,GeorgiaTechhasdecidedtocontinueofferingonerecitation sectionofthedcpusingthenewformatwithgtfunds.thenewformatwillbemade availabletodistrictswheretherearesmallnumbersofstudents(between1to3)at individualhighschools.theschoolofmathematicswillevaluatehowtheformatofthenew formatcouldbefurtherimproved. SummaryofFindings: TheRT3initiativeallowedGeorgiaTechtoexpandthereachoftheDCPbyincreasingthe involvementofindividualstudents,particularlyinruralschoolsystems.(asaresultofrace tothetopfunding,anonlinedcprecitationsectionwascreated.thissectionallowed individualeligiblestudentstoparticipateinthedcp.upuntilthistime,thedcpprogram structurewasgearedtowardspartneringwithdistrictsandschoolsinmetroatlanta. Studentsnotapplyingfromapartnerschoolwerenotaccepted.Forexample,asingle eligiblestudentinanon4partnerschoolordistrictoutsideofmetroatlantaapplyingtothe programwasnotaccepted.duetotheracetothetopinitiative,forty4twostudents participatedfromruralschooldistrictsordistrictswithoutpriorinvolvement. Utilizationofanonlinerecitationsectionallowedindividualstudentsindifferent geographiclocationstointeractwitheachotherandtheteachingassistant(ta),ageorgia Techpost4docwithaPhDinmathematics.Thetechnologyallowedstudentsto communicatewitheachotherincludingworkinginsmallgroupsandposingquestionsto theteachingassistantandeachother.studentsalsohadtheabilitytodiagramquestions usinganonlinewhiteboard.thetraditionaldcpvideo4conferencingformatallowed studentstoaskquestionsoftheta,butnotdiagram,animportantcomponenttoincreasing understandingofchallengingmathematicsconcepts.dataalsosuggeststhatparticipation indcppreparesstudentstoparticipateinonlinelearning,anexperiencetheymaynothave hadinhighschool. 28

29 Datasuggeststhatstudentsintheonlinerecitationsectionperformedbetterinthecourse whencomparedtoparticipantsinthetraditionalvideo4conferencingsectionandfreshman levelgeorgiatechstudents. DatafromtheDCPAlumnisurvey,ofthosewhomatriculatedatGeorgiaTech,suggestthat theyweremoreconfidentabouttheirabilitytosucceedincollege(66% agree or stronglyagree ),developedmorerealisticexpectationsofcollege(63% agree or stronglyagree ),andwerebetterpreparedacademicallyforcollege(60% agree or stronglyagree )becauseoftheirparticipation.alumnialsoreportedimprovedstudyand timemanagementskillsasaresultofparticipatinginthedcp. 29

30 Appendix* 30

31 Distance Calculus Alumni Survey Study description and consent CONSENT DOCUMENT FOR ENROLLING ADULT PARTICIPANTS IN A RESEARCH STUDY Georgia Institute of Technology Project Title: Evaluation of the Distance Calculus Program Principle Investigator: Dr. Donna Whiting You are being asked to be a volunteer in a research study to evaluate the Distance Calculus Program. The evaluation is being coordinated by the Center for Education Integrating, Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC) at the Georgia Institute of Technology in collaboration with Georgia's Department of Education. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of the Distance Calculus Program on its participants. All students who participated in the program when they were in high school from 2011 to 2013 and have matriculated to Georgia Tech are being invited to take part in this study. Procedures: Participation in this study consists of responding to an online survey. The survey is expected to take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Risks/Discomforts: The following risks/discomforts may occur as a result of your participation in this study: There are no identifiable risks associated with participating in this research. Benefits: The following benefits to you are possible as a result of being in this study: You are not likely to benefit in any way from joining this study, but we hope that the information you provide will help us to improve the courses and to understand the impact of the program on its participants. Compensation to You: There is no compensation for participating in this study. Confidentiality: The following procedures will be followed to keep your personal information private in this study: The survey is anonymous. No information will be collected that links you to the study. No data will be stored other than what you enter into the survey. The data that is collected about you will be kept private to the extent allowed by law. Aggregated responses will be shared with Georgia Department of Education as a requirement of the State s Race-to-the-Top initiative. To make sure that this research is being carried out in the proper way, the Georgia Institute of Technology IRB may review study records. The Office of Human Research Protections may also look at study records. Costs to You: There are no costs to you to participate in this study. In Case of Injury/Harm: If you are injured as a result of being in this study, please contact Dr. Donna Whiting at (404) Neither the Principal Investigator nor Georgia Institute of Technology have made provision for payment of costs associated with any injury resulting from participation in this study. Participant Rights: Your participation in this study is voluntary. You do not have to be in this study if you don't want to be. You have the right to change your mind and leave the study at any time without giving any reason, and without penalty. Any new information that may make you change your mind about being in this study will be given to you. Page 1

32 Distance Calculus Alumni Survey You do not waive any of your legal rights by participating in this research. Questions about the Study or Your Rights as a Research Subject: If you have any questions about the study, you may contact Donna Whiting at (404) or at [email protected]. You can also call the Georgia Tech Office of Research Integrity Assurance at (404) or (404) * 1. If you would like to be in the study, select Yes below. If you select Yes, it means you have read the information on this sheet and you d like to be in the study, and you will then begin the survey. Do you wish to participate in the study? Yes No In an effort to learn about the benefits and to improve the Distance Calculus Program, we are seeking your input. Please be as candid as possible. Thank you 2. During which of the following semesters did you take Distance Calculus? (select all that apply) Fall 2011 Spring 2012 Fall 2012 Spring I would rate my overall experience with Distance Calculus as... Excellent Good Neutral Poor Very Poor 4. I would recommend Distance Calculus to current high school students: Yes No Page 2

33 Distance Calculus Alumni Survey 5. Do you think that your experience taking the Georgia Tech Distance Calculus Course during high school helped to prepare you for study at Georgia Tech? Yes No If yes, how? 6. Please indicate your agreement with the following statements about your Distance Calculus experience. "Distance Calculus was helpful for me because it..." Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree Offered me the opportunity to earn college credit while still in high school. Introduced me to college academic expectations and college-level study. Made my studies in high school more relevant to my career goals. Helped me to get into the college that I wanted to attend. Accelerated my progression to college degree completion. Provided greater academic challenges than did other courses available at my high school. Made more effective use of my senior year in high school. 7. Please indicate your agreement with the following statements. "By taking Distance Calculus in high school, I..." Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree Was better prepared academically for college Developed more realistic expectations about college Was more confident about my ability to succeed in college Improved my study skills Improved my time management skills Page 3

34 Distance Calculus Alumni Survey 8. Are Calculus 2 and 3 required for your anticipated college major? Yes, both Calculus 2 and Calculus 3 are required. Calculus 2 is required, but not Calculus 3. Neither Calculus 2 nor 3 is required. I don't know. 9. What is the most important reason that you took Distance Calculus? 10. I am currently taking courses related to engineering, science, mathematics, or computer science. Yes No Page 4

35 Distance Calculus Alumni Survey 11. Please respond to the following items describing how true the following statements are about your education and career intentions. For these items, "STEM" refers to science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and/or computer sciences. Very untrue of Untrue of me me Somewhat untrue of me Somewhat Very true of True of me true of me me Next semester, I intend to continue taking courses related to STEM. I intend to find a job in a STEM field. I intend to stay in a major related to a STEM. I can see myself working in a STEM field in the future. I am planning to apply for a master's education in a field related to STEM. I am planning to spend my life working in a STEM field. I intend to take courses related to STEM during the following school year. I intend to get a bachelor's degree in a major related to STEM. I intend to get a master's degree in a field related to STEM. I would like to pursue a PhD in a STEM related area. I am sure that I would like to continue with my education in STEM. I intend to devote my career to an area related to STEM. Demographic Information 12. What is your major? (you may indicate "undeclared") Page 5

36 Distance Calculus Alumni Survey 13. In what college are you enrolled? College of Architecture College of Computing College of Engineering College of Sciences Ernest Scheller Jr. College of Business Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts Comments 14. What is your gender? Male Female 15. What is your ethnicity? (Check all that apply) African American Asian Hispanic/Latino Native American/Alaskan Native White Other If Other, please specify Thank you for completing our survey Page 6

37 Distance Calculus Engagement Survey (April) Your responses in this survey will help us learn about the distance calculus recitations, what you get out of them, and how to improve them. Your responses will be kept confidential. 1. Please rate your agreement for the following items based on your experiences in the distance calculus recitations. The TA talks more than he than listens. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree The class is made up of individuals who don't know each other well. I look forward to taking part in recitations. It is important to me that I am able to make friendships among students in recitation. Students put effort into what they do in recitations. Each student knows the other members of the class by their first names. Students are dissatisfied with what is done in the recitations. It is important to me that students in recitations know each other well. Students "clockwatch" in recitations. Friendships are made among students in recitations. After recitations, students have a sense of satisfaction. It is not important to me to be able to get to know other students in recitation. Students in recitations pay attention to what others are saying. Students don't have much chance to get to know each other in recitations. Page 1

38 Distance Calculus Engagement Survey (April) Recitations are a waste of time. It is important to me to get to know each other student in recitation by their first name. Students seldom present their work to other students. It takes a long time to get to know everybody by his/her first name in recitations. Recitations are boring. There are opportunities for students to express opinions in recitations. Students in recitations get to know each other well. 2. How often do you prefer to have group work in recitations? I'd prefer that none of the recitations include group work I'd prefer that roughly 20% of the recitations include group work I'd prefer that roughly 40% of the recitations include group work I'd prefer that roughly 60% of the recitations include group work I'd prefer that roughly 80% of the recitations include group work I'd prefer that roughly 100% of the recitations include group work 3. What suggestions do you have for helping students in a course like ours get to know each other and work together? Page 2: Benefits & Improvements Page 2

39 Distance Calculus Engagement Survey (April) 4. Please indicate your agreement with the following statements about your Distance Calculus experience. "Distance Calculus has been helpful for me because it..." Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree Offered me the opportunity to earn college credit while still in high school. Introduced me to college academic expectations and college-level study. Made my studies in high school more relevant to my career goals. Helped me to get into the college that I wanted to attend. Accelerated my progression to college degree completion. Provided greater academic challenges that did other courses available at my school. Made more effective use of my senior year in school. 5. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements. "By taking Distance Calculus, I..." Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree Improved my study skills. Improved my time management skills. 6. How could recitations be improved? Page 3

40 Distance Calculus Engagement Survey (April) 7. If there's anything else you'd like us to know about the course, please write it here. Thank you so much for your help Page 4