Raising the Bar The Power of Pearson s MyLab and Mastering Programs Case Study Results

Transcription

1 Raising the Bar The Power of Pearson s MyLab and Mastering Programs Case Study Results

2 What are students saying? MyMathLab I never would have thought that I could have this much help in math while taking it online, but I really think that MyMathLab is a great resource and everyone should use it. Student, University of South Florida MasteringPhysics MasteringPhysics was very clear and simple, and occasionally it would give you hints. If you're having problems solving a problem, it will take you through step-by-step. For other students, I would recommend it as great practice and preparation for the test and overall as a good learning experience. MasteringChemistry Student, University of Central Florida MasteringChemistry is a great tool to sharpen skills and prepare for exams. A great thing about it is the wide range of difficulty some easy problems, some intermediate, and some difficult. I frequently use MasteringChemistry as exam prep and I scored well on every chapter. Student, Temple University MyPsychLab My favorite MyPsychLab feature is the pre- and post-labs. They help me prepare for the exams by testing my knowledge on the chapters that will be on the exam. It also gives you a study plan for what sections you should study more. MyWritingLab Student, Pacific University I liked MyWritingLab because it really helped me to refresh what I thought that I had forgotten. I have more confidence to move on to the next class thanks to MyWritingLab. Student, Rend Lake College

3 Table of Contents Introduction Case Studies MyMathL ab Lone Star College Montgomery University of Alabama University of Wisconsin Stout MasteringPhysics Evidence of Learning and Problem-Solving Transfer: Massachusetts Institute of Technology MasteringChemistry Evidence of Learning and Problem-Solving Transfer: Louisiana State University. 12 High Reliability of Assessment: Massachusetts Institute of Technology MyPsychL ab Georgia College & State University My WritingL ab Shelton State Community College My SpanishL ab Metropolitan State College MyEconL ab myitlab Western Michigan University Bunker Hill Community College MyAccountingL ab Spokane Community College Table of Contents 1

4 Creating High-Impact Technology for Today s Learners Determined to drive improvements in student achievement and student retention, Pearson Education is partnering with institutions to develop superior, discipline-specific, interactive, online resources. Our research has shown that online resources, when created to meet the needs of students and instructors, make teaching and learning more effective. When educators require and integrate these products into their course, they and their students experience the highest success rates and return on investment. With that goal in mind, Pearson Education has created a broad portfolio of over 80 robust and accessible online products. Branded as the MyLab and Mastering programs, these online resources not only deliver traditional textbook content; they offer outcomes based on selfassessment, personalized study paths, customized teaching resources, and powerful results reporting. 2 Raising the Bar: A Compendium of Case Studies on the Effectiveness of Pearson s MyLab and Mastering Programs

5 Introduction Benefits of Integr ating Online Resources into College Courses This report illustrates the consistently positive impact of the MyLab and Mastering programs on student success and cost reduction in higher education instruction. It examines how these programs can be implemented easily in any environment lab-based, hybrid, distance learning, and traditional. Each case study describes the measurable gains that integrated usage has had on student retention, subsequent success, and overall achievement. 1 Benefits For Students Benefits For Educators Benefits For Institutions Increased motivation and satisfaction among a group for whom technology is familiar and appealing Less time spent on rudimentary material, and more time teaching deeper concepts Broader access to educational curricula can be provided Support for different learning styles through a multi-sensory learning experience Skill preparation that will help students compete and succeed in a technologically sophisticated career beyond graduation A student-focused learning environment that empowers users to take responsibility for their own learning Frequent, individualized student feedback Increased ability to manage more students and more classes, more effectively Quick and easy modification of course content Best-in-class pedagogical practices Increased marketability through fulfilled institutional goals and priorities Reduced space needs and operating costs Improved learning outcomes Reduced (or eliminated) time spent grading assignments Increased student retention rates Cost-effective, fingertip access to course materials and supporting resources Real-time viewing and analysis of student performance The ability to leverage investments in infrastructure Analysis and Results This report presents the salient findings from eleven case studies evaluating the effectiveness of ten MyLab and Mastering products. These case studies provide compelling evidence of how Pearson s MyLab and Mastering programs increase student learning and achievement. Based on these results, it is clear that partnering with Pearson is more than an educational advantage for instructors and students it s a good business decision for institutions. 1 MyMathLab report, Making The Grade, V.3: A Compendium of Data-Driven Case Studies on the Effectiveness of MyMathLab and MathXL, Introduction 3

6 MyM athl ab Lone Star College Montgomery Course Names Pre-Algebra, Introductory Algebra, Intermediate Algebra, College Algebra Credit Hours Three Semesters Covered Fall 2004 Spring 2007 Types of Data Reported Success Rates, Subsequent Success, Retention Type of Implementation Lab-Based 2007 Star Award 2006 Bellwether Award Textbooks in Use with MyMathLab Basic Mathematics, 10e, 2007, Bittinger; Introductory Algebra, 10e, 2007, Bittinger; Intermediate Algebra: Concepts and Applications, 7e, 2006, Bittinger, Ellenbogen; College Algebra, 9e, 2005, Lial, Hornsby, Schneider MyMathLab Course Structure Course Design Faculty at the Learning Outcome Assessment Lab (LOAL) at Lone Star College Montgomery use MyMathLab and a flexible schedule to help students better retain course material by testing outcomes individually throughout the course versus at the end of the semester. Students participate in class lectures and weekly review sessions and follow a weekly syllabus all under the supervision and appropriate intervention of chair and faculty who stay current on student progress via weekly grade updates and weekly news and procedure updates. Assessments The LOAL uses MyMathLab to deliver assessments based on desired course outcomes. Lab hours range from early morning to late at night Monday through Thursday, with morning and afternoon hours on Friday and Saturday. Students may take the assessments at any time the lab is open, may make as many as seven attempts at any one assessment, and are required to pass all outcomes lab assessments in order to pass the course. LOAL assessments count for 20 percent of the final grade. Students do not pass the course without at least 60 percent on each outcome and a minimum 70 percent overall average. MyMathLab s Gradebook enables instructors to track student participation and progress and to intervene if necessary via tutoring or other support services. Courses typically require 8 to 10 concept-based assessments. Regular assessment empowers students to take charge of their learning. By continually evaluating their strengths and weaknesses via the immediate feedback provided by MyMathLab, students know exactly where they need further study and are less likely to fall behind early in the semester, when it is hardest to rebound. MyMathLab Implementation Students utilize MyMathLab for testing and homework, which contributes 20 to 30 percent of their final course grade. The LOAL s emphasis on continual assessment and early intervention directly benefits from MyMathLab s core qualities of proactivity, time efficiency, flexibility, immediate feedback, security, and student accountability. The commitment of all faculty members to training in the software and in workshops on pedagogy further ensures program success. Some instructors import grades into MyMathLab from other sources. MyMathLab Course Results Tables 1 through 5 show more-than-statistically-significant differences in retention, pass rates, and subsequent success between students who have completed the MyMathLab outcomes assessment program and those who have not. In spring 2006 alone, retention rates among those students employing the LOAL/MyMathLab program in Introductory Algebra, Intermediate Algebra, or College Algebra were all above 90 percent. In the case of College Algebra, the 98 percent retention rate reflects a 75 percent gain Table 1. Retention Rates, Spring 2006* *Data reflect unduplicated student enrollment. Without With Percent MyMathLab MyMathLab Increase Introductory Algebra 65% 97% 49% Intermediate Algebra 71% 92% 30% College Algebra 56% 98% 75% W W W. M Y M A T H L A B. C O M 4 Raising the Bar: A Compendium of Case Studies on the Effectiveness of Pearson s MyLab and Mastering Programs

7 LONE STAR COLLEGE MONTGOMERY The way MyMathLab has enabled us to integrate outcomes assessments into our courses and then standardize them across the department it s revolutionized our whole program. Maureen Loiacano Lone Star College Montgomery MyM athl ab Without With MyMathLab MyMathLab Percent in Intro Algebra in Intro Algebra Increase Spring % 46% 28% Fall % 55% 10% Spring % 60% 20% Fall % 65% 27% Table 3. Subsequent Success: Pass Rates in Intermediate Algebra, Spring 2005 Fall 2006* *Data reflect unduplicated student enrollment. Conclusions Without With MyMathLab MyMathLab Percent in Pre-Algebra in Pre-Algebra Increase Spring % 54% 20% Fall % 59% 4% Spring % 59% 9% Fall % 62% 15% Table 2. Subsequent Success: Pass Rates in Introductory Algebra, Spring 2005 Fall 2006* *Data reflect unduplicated student enrollment. The faculty at Lone Star College Montgomery continue to build upon the winning combination of MyMathLab and continual outcomes assessment in a mandated mathemathics lab. By employing the following set of proven components, faculty find consistent, replicable success. Faculty and students with joint ownership of the math curriculum A technology-based outcomes assessment program with superior training and communication over the 56 percent retention rate among those students who didn t employ LOAL and MyMathLab. See Table 1. Pass rates from fall 2004 to spring 2007 comparing students who had completed the MyMathLab regular outcomes assessment program in the previous course and students who had not show the unequivocal benefit of regular outcomes assessement and early intervention. College Algebra, the first college-level class students typically take after completing the developmental math sequence, saw the most significant pass rate difference: an average of 79 percent for those who had worked in the MyMathLabpowered Learning Outcome Assessment Lab in their previous course work versus an average of 64.5 percent for those who had not. Tables 2 to 4 detail subsequent success comparisons from spring 2005 to fall 2006 for Introductory Algebra, Intermediate Algebra, and College Algebra. Course enrollments are also increasing across all levels. Table 5 shows percent enrollment increases most marked in Calculus, where spring enrollment increased by 30 percent. Without With MyMathLab in MyMathLab in Percent Inter Algebra Inter Algebra Increase Spring % 73% 33% Fall % 84% 11% Spring % 80% 11% Fall % 79% 44% Table 4. Subsequent Success: Pass Rates in College Algebra, Spring 2005 Fall 2006* *Data reflect unduplicated student enrollment. Spring 2005 Fall 2005 to Spring 2006 to Fall 2006 Developmental 4% 5% College Level 13% 11% Calculus 30% 10% Table 5. Percent Increase in Course Enrollments Understanding that outcomes achievement or not finishing lessons defines course completion Giving students the tools to assess their own progress, which leads to improved success rates Supportive faculty who are willing to offer their time, energy, and ideas Submitted by Maureen Loiacano, Chair, Mathematics and Education Lone Star College Montgomery W W W. M Y M A T H L A B. C O M 5

8 MyM athl ab University of Alabama Course Names Beginning Algebra, Intermediate Algebra, Finite Math, Precalculus Algebra Credit Hours Three Semesters Covered Fall 2000 Fall 2007 Types of Data Reported Success Rates, Retention Type of Implementation Lab-Based Textbooks in Use with MyMathLab 2009 IMS Learning Award Beginning Algebra, 10e, 2008, Lial, Hornsby, McGinnis; Intermediate Algebra, 3e, 2007, Martin-Gay; Finite Mathematics, 8e, 2005, Lial, Greenwell, Ritchey; Precalculus, 3e, 2008, Beecher, Penna, Bittinger; Calculus with Applications, 9e, 2008, Lial, Greenwell, Ritchey MyMathLab Course Structure Course Design Beginning Algebra and Intermediate Algebra courses have one required meeting per week in which students report to the math lab and work on homework and quizzes. In other courses, weekly meetings consist of lecture on key topics for the week. The math lab is open 71 hours a week; students may receive individualized assistance from a staff of instructors and tutors. Students work at their own pace within the deadlines stated in the syllabus. Some students finish the course within eight weeks of the semester start, but the majority work according to deadlines. Course format comprises the following: 30- to 50-minute classes that introduce students to topics and course objectives 3 to 4 hours in the lab or elsewhere working independently and using course software that presents a series of topics covering specific learning objectives Instructors and tutors available in the Mathematics Technology Learning Center 71 hours a week to provide individualized assistance Assessments Within each section of content there is a homework and quiz requirement that contributes to the course grade. Four major tests (not cumulative) each contribute 10 percent to the course grade. A comprehensive final exam counts as 30 percent of the final course grade. In addition, students have lab and class attendance requirements. MyMathLab Implementation The University of Alabama uses the majority of features offered in MyMathLab, including customization, homework, quizzes, tests, and prerequisites contributing 93 percent of each student s final course grade. UA imports grades into its own grade book. In summer 2000, UA redesigned the math program using MyMathLab and the Math Emporium model developed by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and the National Center for Academic Transformation s Course Redesign program. UA s College of Arts and Sciences assigned to the course the Mathematics Technology Learning Center, which started out as a 70-seat computer lab and now seats 500. MyMathLab Course Results By spring 2006, Intermediate Algebra pass rates had risen an average of 20.2 percent from 2000 rates, with the percentage of As and Bs increasing from 36.7 percent to 58.3 percent. For those courses in which the department had not fully made the switch to redesign, side-by-side data revealed not only that the pass rate in the MyMathLab redesigned Business Calculus was course significantly higher than the traditional counterpart (64.7 percent versus 51.3 percent) but also that the failure rate decreased and the withdrawal rate dropped by more than half. Tables 1 through 5 illustrate MyMathLab s wide range of positive impact. They show measurable outcomes in pass rates and retention data for individual classes and the overall mathematics department by test, by semester, and as these outcomes relate to subsequent success. In addition, faculty at UA note the following advantages to the technology-assisted redesign: flexibility in scheduling, ability to move at individual pace, instant feedback, availability of individual help, equality of presentation, equality of testing, and elimination of language problems. W W W. M Y M A T H L A B. C O M 6 Raising the Bar: A Compendium of Case Studies on the Effectiveness of Pearson s MyLab and Mastering Programs

9 UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA Fall 00 Spring 01 Fall 01 Spring 02 Fall 02 Spring 03 Fall 03 Spring 04 Fall 04 Spring 05 Fall 05 Spring 06 Fall 06 Spring 07 Fall 07 Beg Algebra % 35.8% 56.5% 37.2% 60.6% 49.7% 64.2% 65.5% 73.6% 53.2% 74.0% Inter Algebra 50.2% 35.8% 60.5% 49.8% 62.9% 38.9% 78.7% 61.8% 76.2% 59.1% 67.2% 56.2% 73.8% 59.8% 75.2% Finite Math % 63.5% 66.5% 56.2% 70.0% 65.0% 66.0% 56.3% 70.3% 62.0% 74.8% Precalc Algebra % 66.6% 70.3% 68.5% 71.8% 65.0% 71.6% 62.6% 66.0% 57.2% 69.2% Trigonometry % 59.7% 55.1% 66.8% 65.1% 66.1% 65.1% 75.2% 45.1% 69.0% 66.8% Precal Alg/Trig % 62.2% 80.0% 61.4% 79.7% 80.6% 79.7% 54.2% 80.6% 71.4% 73.2% Business Calc % 54.9% 64.7% 74.2% 64.7% 60.6% 60.4% 69.8% 61.9% MyM athl ab Table 1. Success Rates of MyMathLab Implementaton by Semester, Fall 2000 Fall 2007 Fall 02 Spring 03 Fall 03 Spring 04 Fall 04 Spring 05 Fall 05 Spring 06 Fall 06 Spring 07 Fall 07 Beg Algebra 72.8% 53.3% 75.0% 57.0% 79.7% 76.2% 83.7% 73.6% 88.1% 69.4% 85.3% Inter Algebra 77.2% 59.3% 85.8% 72.3% 86.4% 77.7% 80.1% 73.4% 86.7% 77.0% 85.9% Finite Math 74.3% 72.4% 80.8% 71.8% 85.5% 78.8% 80.5% 70.8% 84.2% 75.7% 85.1% Precalc Algebra 73.7% 81.7% 78.7% 80.8% 84.5% 82.9% 83.7% 80.9% 84.3% 82.0% 85.6% Trigonometry 79.9% 83.1% 70.3% 80.4% 82.8% 79.5% 77.0% 85.8% 68.9% 81.9% 81.5% Precal Alg/Trig 91.8% 84.2% 93.9% 88.4% 96.3% 84.4% 91.6% 75.0% 95.5% 85.7% 87.7% Business Calc % 67.6% 64.6% 83.8% 71.3% 76.4% 75.0% 81.7% 77.2% Table 2. Retention Rates of MyMathLab Implementaton by Semester, Fall 2002 Fall 2007 Test 1 Test 2 Test 3 Test 4 Final Fall % 89.3% 83.8% 81.6% 78.6% Fall % 89.7% 84.7% 79.4% 77.2% Fall % 91.2% 88.6% 86.3% 85.8% Fall % 92.2% 90.0% 86.6% 86.4% Fall % 89.7% 82.7% 79.7% 80.1% Table 3. Intermediate Algebra Retention per Test, Fall 2001 Fall 2005* *Data reflect the percentage of students enrolled in the course who took each test. Test 1 Test 2 Test 3 Test 4 Final Without MML 88.4% 83.0% 67.0% 64.9% 67.3% With MML 94.6% 92.2% 85.6% 82.6% 81.4% Table 5. Business Calculus Retention per Test, Fall 2005* *Data reflect the percentage of students enrolled in the course who took each test. Without MML With MML Semesters Pass Rate for Subsequent Course Fall 1998 Spring % Fall 1999 Spring % Fall 2000 Spring % Fall 2001 Spring % Fall 2002 Spring % Table 4. Pass Rates for Subsequent Courses before and after MyMathLab Implementation Conclusions The use of MyMathLab has significantly improved student success rates. Prior to implementation MyMathLab, success rates averaged 40 to 45 percent. Today, success rates in Intermediate Algebra have averaged 70 percent in the fall semesters and 60 percent in the spring semesters. As studies have become more longitudinal, UA has realized how MyMathLab works best: as part of a larger redesign that includes mandated use by students. The results consistently show a direct correlation between required attendance in the labs and higher success rates. Longitudinal studies have also increased UA s awareness of MyMathLab s impact on subsequent success. By 2006, students who came out of a MyMathLab redesigned Intermediate Algebra course passed their subsequent course, Precalculus Algebra, at an average rate of 71.3 percent compared with the overall average of 48.3 percent. Based on this data, the University of Alabama is convinced: MyMathLab in an Emporium redesign setup can enhance student learning; can increase success rates, particularly for underserved students; and can reduce resource demands. Plans for the future include using even more of the tools offered by MyMathLab (e.g., item analysis and pooling) to further increase student success rates. Submitted by Jamie Glass Mathematics Technology Learning Center Lab Coordinator University of Alabama W W W. M Y M A T H L A B. C O M 7

10 TRADITIONAL HYBRID LAB MyM BASED athl ab VARIOUS FORMATS University of Wisconsin Stout Course Names Beginning Algebra, Intermediate Algebra Credit Hours Two, Four Semesters Covered Fall 2004 Spring 2008 Type of Data Reported Retention Textbooks in Use with MyMathLab Beginning Algebra, 5e, 2009, Martin-Gay; Intermediate Algebra, 4e, 2005, Martin-Gay; Algebra and Trigonometry, MyMathLab Course Structure Course Design Beginning Algebra meets twice a week for a total of two hours; Intermediate Algebra meets four times a week for a total of four hours. MyMathLab homework is scheduled and due each class day. It may be done at any location, but all quizzes and tests are taken in the classroom or lab with a proctor. Students may work ahead. Assessments Beginning Algebra 5 quizzes, 2 tests in MyMathLab, plus one quiz outside MyMathLab, each with an accompanying practice quiz/test available in MyMathLab 21 MyMathLab homework assignments MyMathLab Course Results The cornerstone of UW-Stout s math program is daily computer-graded homework that counts significantly (about 25 percent) toward the course grade and is continually monitored by the classroom instructor, who actively intervenes as soon as a student shows signs of falling behind. What distinguishes this curriculum from exclusively online courses is the blending of online homework and tests with required daily classroom sessions in a dedicated, technology-enhanced classroom/tutor lab complex. Another key factor is a new tutoring service dedicated exclusively to supporting Beginning Algebra and Intermediate Algebra students. Since its inception in fall 2004, the Math Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) has served 2,140 students. During this time, the combined failure/withdrawal rate for the 501 students who have taken remedial Beginning Algebra under the new system has decreased by 55 percent (from 29 percent to 13 percent). See Figure 1. 3e, 2007, Blitzer Intermediate Algebra 7 quizzes, 4 tests in MyMathLab, each with an accompanying practice quiz or test available in MyMathLab 42 MyMathLab homework assignments 5 homework assignments outside of MyMathLab 2009 Outstanding Teacher Award MyMathLab Implementation Use of MyMathLab contributes 90 percent to each student s final course grade and includes homework, proctored tests, and quizzes; prerequisites for some homework and tests; the Individual Settings feature; and the Coordinator course feature. Grades are not imported from other sources. Results in the Intermediate Algebra course show a less dramatic, 39 percent reduction in nonpass rates (17.8 percent for 1,639 students over seven semesters versus 29 percent pre-math TLC). See Figure 2. MyMathLab s tracking features reveal that 95 percent of students are submitting all homework assignments, earning for them an average score of 92 percent. Students are spending an average of 95 minutes on each day s homework assignment a figure for which no previous comparison data exist but which most teachers of these courses anywhere would find astonishing. Attendance rates now average 94 percent for Intermediate Algebra and 85 percent for Beginning Algebra. From 150 to 200 students visit the tutor lab per week compared with the 75 to 80 tutoring sessions per semester logged by the campuswide, free tutoring service for students in these two courses before the program began. 1 0 W W W. M Y M A T H L A B. C O M 8 Raising the Bar: A Compendium of Case Studies on the Effectiveness of Pearson s MyLab and Mastering Programs

11 Figure 1. Year-by-year data of the percent of students receiving failure or withdrawal grades in Beginning Algebra In addition to passing these two courses at unprecedented rates, students are registering greater engagement and satisfaction with the learning experience despite the greater demands placed on them. On an anonymous and voluntary survey distributed to Math TLC students at the end of each semester, 91 percent of respondents indicated that they learned as much as or more than they expected to learn coming into the course; 84 percent said they d be likely to take a course using this structure again. And despite the prominence of online homework and learning tools, students still rated my teacher as the top factor influencing their learning out of seven choices (online homework, online help, lectures, tutors, my teacher, open lab, textbook) strong evidence that the personal interaction Conclusions When asked about her view of the future of mathematics instruction vis-à-vis her experience with MyMathLab, Jeanne Foley, director of UW-Stout s Math Teaching and Learning Center, replied with the following. Technology will become the universal course delivery medium. There will still be a market for so-called brickand-mortar universities and on-site rather than online classes despite the accelerating growth of online universities and online course work at traditional institutions. It is especially the students who struggle with math and who are taking remedial or introductory math classes who most need the hands-on support of a live teacher in a real classroom. There is a real synergy between the benefits offered by MyMathLab and the face-to-face interactions between students and their classroom teacher and tutors UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STOUT Figure 2. Year-by-year data of the percent of students receiving failure or withdrawal grades in Intermediate Algebra this program provides in the classroom and lab is an essential feature distinguishing this approach from strictly online and even most hybrid course structures. Written responses to student survey questions are typified by this verbatim quote: This class completely changed my views on math. Before this class I hated math and never wanted to do it. I hated math even in grade school! After this course I love math and am considering a math minor. I m even thinking of being a tutor in the Math TLC next year. I would never have imagined me teaching and helping others with math. Students learning habits have changed tremendously in the past 10 years. Although it does seem that students attention spans for lectures and their ability to focus for extended times on traditional assignments have diminished, their willingness to spend one or two or sometimes even three hours a day on interactive homework like the MyMathLab exercises has increased. Students in UW-Stout Intermediate Algebra classes are spending an average of 95 minutes a day on their MyMathLab homework far more than they spent when these courses were taught traditionally. Submitted by Jeanne Foley, Director, Math Teaching and Learning Center University of Wisconsin Stout MyM LAB athl BASED ab HYBRID TRADITIONAL ARIOUS FORMATS W W W. M Y M A T H L A B. C O M

12 M a steringphysic s Evidence of Learning and Problem-Solving Transfer Successful learning must lead to problem-solving transfer that is, the ability to apply what is being learned during one instance of problem solving to another instance in which a similar set of knowledge and methodologies is required. Studies conducted using the Mastering programs show evidence of learning from Mastering s tutorial items and from the ability gained by the students to transfer that learning where required. Study 1. MasteringPhysics Introductory Newtonian Mechanics, Fall 2003 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Study design: After the first six weeks of the semester, the approximately 430 students in Introductory Newtonian Mechanics were divided, based on homework scores, into two equally skilled groups. The groups were given related tutorial problem pairs (they both entailed the same concepts and methods), which they solved in opposite order relative to each other without any intervening problems. For example, if problem A was presented to one group followed by problem B, then problem B was presented to the other group followed by problem A. Thus, one group was unprepared for problem A while the other group was prepared for it by having solved problem B, and vice versa. The two groups were named prepared and unprepared relative to a tutorial problem pair under consideration. Six tutorial problem pairs were assigned for credit in the concept domains of linear momentum, energy conservation, angular motion, gravitation, torque, and rotational dynamics. (For more details, see R. Warnakulasooriya, D. J. Palazzo, and D. E. Pritchard, Evidence of problem-solving transfer in Web-based Socratic tutor, Proceedings of the 2005 Physics Education Research Conference, pp ; R. Warnakulasooriya, 0.30 unprepared group 0.25 Rate of Completion min 6.7min 18min 50min 2.2hr Time Figure 1. The rate-of-completion graphs for a tutorial problem for the prepared and the unprepared groups plotted against the logarithmic time, where the time to completion is measured in seconds. For the prepared group, the peak rate of completion is shifted toward shorter times compared with the unprepared group. 10 Raising the Bar: A Compendium of Case Studies on the Effectiveness of Pearson s MyLab and Mastering Programs

13 D. J. Palazzo, and D. E. Pritchard, Time to completion of Web-based physics problems with tutoring, Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 2007, 88, pp ) Results: Three results were noted. 1. The prepared group solved a given problem on average 15 ± 3 percent more quickly 1 than the unprepared group. This effect was observed across the six concept areas and hence on all of the 12 problems, providing robust evidence of learning from a prior problem leading to problem-solving transfer. Time 50 min 41 min 33 min 27 min 22 min 18 min 15 min 12 min 10 min p p g p unprepared group prepared group unprepared group M a steringphysic s 8 min 7 min 6 min Linear momentum Energy consv. Angular motion Gravitation Torque Rotational dynamics Figure 2. Prepared group solves a given tutorial problem in 15 ± 3% less time on average compared with the unprepared group. unprepared group Incorrect Responses per Student prepared group unprepared group 1 Linear momentum Energy consv. Angular motion Gravitation Torque Rotational dynamics Figure 3. Prepared group solves a given tutorial problem with 11 ± 3 percent fewer errors compared with the unprepared group. 1 The quickness was determined by finding the time at which the highest rate of completion for the respective groups was observed and calculating the difference. Time to completion is defined as the time interval between the first opening of a problem and the submission of the completed problem in the sense that all the main parts of a given problem were answered correctly without any log-ins/log-offs. 11

14 2. The prepared group requested 15 ± 6 percent fewer hints on a given problem compared with the unprepared group. 3. The prepared group made 11 ± 3 percent fewer errors on a given problem compared with the unprepared group. Summary Students engaging with the MasteringPhysics tutorials demonstrated learning and near-term problem-solving transfer as measured by the time to completion of problems, the number of errors made, and the number of hints requested on follow-up problems. The learning effect was a repeatable finding seen across the concept areas considered in the study (linear momentum, energy conservation, angular motion, gravitation, torque, and rotational dynamics). MasteringChemistry Study 2. MasteringChemistry Introductory Chemistry, Fall 2007 Louisiana State University Study design: The students were assigned weekly homework in MasteringChemistry. Twelve regular homework assignments were given (except the introductory assignment to MasteringChemistry) to the class, which consisted of about 260 students. The regular homework assignments had about 15 problems on average per assignment and the end-of-chapter (EOC) problems were always assigned after the tutorial problems within an assignment. A two-parameter item response model was fitted to the data scored dichotomously based on whether or not a student obtained the correct answer to a given part of a problem on the first attempt without requesting any help from MasteringChemistry, hence obtaining the difficulty and the discrimination parameters of the problem. Results: The difficulty of the problems against its position in the assignment correlates at ± 0.09 on average for 10 homework assignments in which a linear association between problem difficulty and problem order in the assignment can be identified. Thus, the problem difficulty decreases over a given assignment. In other words, problems given later in an assignment are easier than the ones given earlier. Figure 4. The difficulty of the problems decrease along the order in the assignment: Chapter 1 of Brown/LeMay/Bursten Introduction: Matter and Measurement. The problem difficulty is reported on a standard deviation scale. A single-part problem with difficulty -1 means that a student who is one standard deviation below average in skill has a 50% chance in successfully answering the problem on first attempt. 12 Raising the Bar: A Compendium of Case Studies on the Effectiveness of Pearson s MyLab and Mastering Programs

15 Figure 5. The difficulty of the problems decrease along the order in the assignment: Chapter 11 of Brown/LeMay/Bursten Intermolecular Forces, Liquids, and Solids. The problem difficulty is reported on a standard deviation scale. A single-part problem with difficulty -1 means that a student who is one standard deviation below average in skill has a 50% chance in successfully answering the problem on first attempt. It is highly plausible that the decrease in problem difficulty is due to an overall effect of learning within a given assignment. The instructor followed the best practice recommendations given in MasteringChemistry and selected a roughly equal number of tutorials and EOCs as much as feasible within an assignment. The tutorial and EOC problems were selected so that they covered important parts of each chapter. Though the 1 (easy) through 5 (hard) difficulty scale was not actively used by the instructor in selecting the problems from the MasteringChemistry s item library, the problems selected mainly fell in the difficulty range 1 3. Even if the EOC problems (that were assigned at the end of an assignment) were inherently easy, the general negative correlation does not explain the decrease in difficulty we see among the tutorial problems along the order. Since the instructor did not consciously select problems in decreasing order of difficulty within an assignment, it is reasonable to infer that on average we see a learning effect from one problem to the next within an assignment. The average decrease in difficulty per problem within an assignment is ± Thus, the difficulty of the next problem within an assignment effectively decreases by about 0.26 standard deviations. Since the student skill and the problem difficulty are placed on the same standard deviation scale in an item response model, this also suggests that the increase in skill from one problem to the next within an assignment is about 0.26 standard deviations. Summary In 10 of the 12 regular assignments given in MasteringChemistry, a linear decrease in problem difficulty occurs, with the earlier problems in an assignment being more difficult than the later problems. The average correlation between the problem difficulty and its order within an assignment is ± 0.09 while the decrease in difficulty from one problem to the next is ± 0.13 standard deviations. Hence, the learning effect attributable to a problem is about 0.26 standard deviations. MasteringChemistry With acknowledgments to Prof. David E. Pritchard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and Prof. Randall W. Hall and Prof. Leslie G. Butler, Louisiana State University. v

16 MasteringChemistry regression line. In contrast, a similar study for problems in the paper-based final exam accounted for about 40% of the variance. (See D. E. Pritchard and E. S. Morote, Reliable assessment with CyberTutor, a Web-based homework tutor, World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Health, & Higher Education, 2002, pp ) Thus, MasteringPhysics data such as time to first correct response, number of incorrect responses without receiving feedback, and number of hint requests, can be used to reduce the measurement error by a factor of two. (The statistical uncertainty in the correlation is between 0.89 and 0.93 with high confidence, and therefore we can be fairly confident that we would obtain higher reliability values under Study repeated 1. measurement Mastering under Chemistry similar conditions.) High Reliability of Assessment Study 2. MasteringChemistry General Chemistry, Fall 2006 Randomly selected from the MasteringChemistry database Study design: A General Chemistry class was randomly selected from the MasteringChemistry database, the only criterion being that the course comprise at least 300 students and at least 60 assigned tutorial items throughout the semester. The random selection avoided any biases that would be introduced if if the study was conducted explicitly to verify the reliability of assessment. The 80 tutorial items given throughout the semester were divided randomly into two sets of 40 items each. The average difficulty of a given set for a student was computed as a linear combination of the average values of time to first correct response, the number of incorrect responses given when feedback is absent (except try again ), and the number of hint requests. The results were based on 347 students. Results: The correlation between the average difficulty of the first item set and the average difficulty of the second item set is about 0.85 yielding a high reliability of about 92%. The high correlation implies that about 72% of the variance is explained by the regression line. (The statistical uncertainty in the correlation is between 0.80 and 0.89 with high confidence, and therefore, we can be fairly confident that we would obtain higher reliability values under repeated measurement under similar conditions.) Figure Correlation of average difficulty between two sets of tutorial items containing 40 items each showing the high reliability of assessment. A point corresponds to a single student. Summary Mastering content offers highly reliable assessment (over 90%) as evidenced by the aforementioned two studies. Such high reliability aids instructors by providing a high level of confidence in Mastering content and assessments in that information provided by Mastering, whether on an individual student or the class as a whole, is validated for further intervention and instruction. With acknowledgment to Prof. David E. Pritchard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 14 Raising the Bar: A Compendium of Case Studies on the Effectiveness of Pearson s MyLab and Mastering Programs v0110

17 Case Study: Georgia College and State University J. Noland White, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology Georgia College and State University (GCSU), founded in 1889, gained a new mission in 1996: to provide students with a private liberal arts college experience at a public university price. Academically competitive and student centered, the university currently offers 36 undergraduate degrees and more than 25 graduate programs on a campus lauded as one of the top 50 wireless campuses in the United States. Since GCSU currently uses WebCT, Noland White, assistant professor of psychology, was well versed with online courseware when he sought a product for his Introduction to Psychology class. Despite a variety of competitors, White chose MyPsychLab (MPL). MPL offers all the components I need in a single resource, he says. It s all there for me, already created and ready to use. I can link easily and directly from WebCT to MPL materials; more important, so can my students. That kind of ease of use increases the likelihood that they ll use it. White includes MPL as a required component of both homework and a hybrid lecture format. MPL supplements my style of teaching, he says. The interactive model facilitates more communication between professor and student and between students and actively promotes a student-focused model of teaching and learning. a pat on the back that the professor can t always be there to give. This interactive component is critical to the process of learning. Before a big test comes along, students using MPL are aware of what they haven t mastered and of exactly what they need to do to gain mastery. This forewarning enables them to get help before it s too late. The majority of GCSU s students are technically savvy; they were neither upset nor challenged by the concept of online courseware or a Web interface. I received lots of positive feedback, White says. White also had compliments for MPL s instructor benefits. I like that MPL shifts learning time from inside the classroom to outside the classroom, he says. It promotes the students interacting with the material as much as possible and doesn t limit their learning experiences to the class period. When students are involved with the material outside of class as well, I can engage them in moreproductive classroom discussions, and they retain more. Technical support was responsive and quick. I m very impressed both with the individuals themselves and with Pearson in general. White recognizes that most freshmen are tremendously challenged by the concepts of time management and taking responsibility for their learning. It s very different from their high school experience, in which many of them were told exactly what to do and when to do it, says White. MPL offers students a structure in which they experience that making an effort achieves results. They learn how to approach deadlines and what it means to be accountable for their own learning. Students who use MPL are more invested in their performance, says White, because they can get immediate, individualized feedback and know someone is paying attention to what they re doing [via the Gradebook]. The immediate feedback keeps students motivated to improve either from an individual perspective or when needed like One of MPL s unique features is that it enables instructors to acknowledge and respond to a range of educational goals and learning styles. MPL gives me the freedom and the flexibility to assign text materials by chapter or by module depending on which is more appropriate for the class, says White. Its variety of modalities taps into the individual learning style of each student: some respond to the simulations; others, to the reading; and still others, to the visual cues. MPL is effective with all of them and should work equally well in a large classroom or a small one, in distance learning, or on-site. What is his favorite MPL feature? It gives me an opportunity to do my job better, says White, a professor whose students are clearly his number one priority. MyPsychL ab accurate assessment convenient reporting individualized study plans

18 Case study 2009 CODiE Award Shelton State Community College, Tuscaloosa, Alabama text Resources for Writers with Readings, 2/e, by Elizabeth C. Long Resources for Writers with Readings, 3/e, by Elizabeth C. Long InstRuCtoRs Professor Richard (Ric) Dice, Instructor Professor Janice Filer, Chair of Language and Communications CouRse English 093: Basic English 1 and 2 covering sentence-level writing A call for change In 2005, students in Shelton State s mainstream composition courses were not succeeding. Instructors found them unprepared to craft essay-length work; indeed, many students struggled to create sound sentences. Students grasp of basic grammar was inadequate. Clearly, significant changes were needed to improve student outcomes. In response, the instructors in SSCC s English department undertook a restructuring and standardization of developmental English courses and enlisted Pearson s MyWritingLab as the engine and cornerstone of the program. Standardization of Breakdown of Results (all classes) Pre- to Post-diagnostic Percentage Improvement # of Students MyWritingLab is a really valuable tool. I was trained in the sciences so I have a healthy respect for data and MyWritingLab offers a great way to keep score on student outcomes. It s just a superior way to teach the subject. Professor Richard Dice MyWritingL ab SSCC s two semester-length developmental writing courses, Basic English 1 and 2, began in late 2005; full implementation across all sections was achieved in 2007 and continues today. Basic English 1 and 2 are now taught in a laboratory environment, and all classes use MyWritingLab daily. MyWritingLab comprises 25% of the course grade: 5% of the grade is the pre-diagnostic test and 20% is the final test on grammar. Additionally, students use MyWritingLab each day to work on their individualized student learning plans specific grammar exercises designed to prepare students to succeed on the final exam. Results Comparison of pre- and post-test scores In 2007, with the start of full standardization, pre- and post-diagnostic results from MyWritingLab were analyzed. Eighty-six students in five classes participated. Of the 84 students completing the course (only two students failed to complete the course), 97.6% showed improvement. Students improved their average diagnostic test scores from 64% (pre-test) to 79.4% (post-test), an increase of over 15%. Professor Dice explains, MyWritingLab is a really valuable tool. I was trained in the sciences so I have a healthy respect for data and MyWritingLab offers a great way to keep score on student outcomes. It s just a superior way to teach the subject. 97.6% of students Improved NUMBER OF STUDENTS PERCENTAGE IMPROVEMENT 16 Raising the Bar: A Compendium of Case Studies on the Effectiveness of Pearson s MyLab and Mastering Programs

19 44 Of the students who completed English 101 using MyWritingLab, Results Follow-up study Six classes of students who successfully completed English 093 were tracked through English 101, the department s mainstream composition course. Fifty-seven students enrolled in English 101. Of the 44 students who completed English 101 and received a letter grade, 33 passed for a success rate of 75%; 11 failed (19%). These figures compared favorably to the college-wide student success rates for English 101 of 51% passing and 27% failing. I m surprised each semester when I pull the data that students have improved as much as they do. And the results clearly document MyWritingLab s effectiveness because I haven t changed my teaching approach. I m really acting now as an administrator for MyWritingLab, asserted Professor Dice. Course administration transformed Instructors note that administering the course is a pleasure with MyWritingLab. Professor Dice notes, We ve gone from workbooks really deadly to CD-based instruction to the online tools offered by MyWritingLab just a huge advancement. Students appreciate the change, too. It was not uncommon for students to doze off 75 % passed. College-wide passing rates for English 101 without MyWritingLab were only 51 % I m surprised each semester when I pull the data that students have improved as much as they do. And the results clearly document MyWritingLab s effectiveness because I haven t changed my teaching approach. I m really acting now as an administrator for MyWritingLab. Professor Richard Dice during workbook-based drill exercises. now, with MyWritingLab, students work at their own pace, progressing through a learning plan completely customized to their individual needs by MyWritingLab. There are other benefits as well. Professor Janice Filer, chair of Language and Communications, notes that the self-guided nature of MyWritingLab gives her flexibility in staffing. She can augment the English department teaching staff with content specialists, trained to administer MyWritingLab. This enables Professor Filer to offer lab-based sections of Basic English to even small numbers of students who would otherwise be closed out of the classes they need due to insufficient enrollment numbers. Analysis Without question, students writing has improved. Professor Dice asserts, You sense the students excitement when they can write the thoughts they imagine. Without a grasp of basic grammar and construction, students would self-edit and dumb down their thoughts to a rudimentary expression they could put down on paper. After working with MyWritingLab, students are confident enough in basic grammar and construction to truly express their thoughts and engage in writing worthy of their imaginations. For a product tour or to find out more, please visit MyWritingL ab 17

20 MySpanishL ab Case study Metropolitan State College Denver, Colorado InstRuCtoR Dr. Lunden E. MacDonald, Assistant Professor of Spanish CouRses SPA 1010 Intro to Spanish I SPA 1020 Intro to Spanish II level Elementary texts Arriba!: Comunicación y cultura, 5/e, with MySpanishLab by Eduardo Zayas-Bazán, Susan M. Bacon, and Holly Nibert term CoveRed Spring 2009 ContRIbutIon of myspanishlab to final grade 50% types of data RepoRted Student performance CouRse structure Wired classroom 2010 IMS Learning Award Founded in 1965, Metropolitan State College of denver offers an affordable, quality education in a downtown setting to a large and diverse population. in keeping with Metro State s commitment to provide a relevant education with strong technology integration, Professor Lunden Macdonald coordinated a review of available online resources for the Modern Language department s introductory Spanish courses. in addition to improving student performance and equipping students with a suite of 21st century skills through more technology integration, the department hoped to: n ensure a uniform curriculum and testing platform for more than 1,000 introductory Spanish students annually n engage an automated grading system to relieve time-crunched faculty n enhance faculty s professional skills development by training them to teach using cutting-edge technology resources The department determined that Arriba! with MySpanishLab was the best fit for their students and began integrating MySpanishLab in intro to Spanish i sections in fall in spring 2009, the department required MySpanishLab for all students in MySpanishLab has made for a noticeably higher level of communicative ability among my students. Dr. Lunden E. MacDonald final grade distributions # OF TOTAL ASSIGNED GRADES A s B s C s D s Spring 2009 section of Spanish I using MySpanishLab. Average final grade for 27 students was 85 all sections of both intro to Spanish i and intro to Spanish ii. MySpanishLab accounts for 50% of students final grade. Readiness Checks, Student Activity Manual exercises, and oral Practices are 15%; the mid-term exam is 10%; and the final exam is 15%. Results instructors have responded very positively to MySpanishLab s automated grading and to the performance notification system that displays students progress on MySpanishLab assignments. The performance notification system quickly displays overall course performance and individual student performance, allowing instructors to identify students 18 Raising the Bar: A Compendium of Case Studies on the Effectiveness of Pearson s MyLab and Mastering Programs

21 MySpanishLab provides best-practice technological support for instructors who are struggling in the course. The automated grading saves instructors time that they can dedicate to engaging with students and helping them to stay on track. Students performance improved with MySpanishLab. Grades were noticeably higher this semester with MySpanishLab, asserts Professor Macdonald. Professor Macdonald feels that MySpanishLab s SAM activities are a key contributor to students higher grades. She says, The machine-graded SAM activities force the students to keep up with their homework, whereas in prior semesters i noticed that students didn t even bother to do workbook activities. MySpanishLab s instant feedback really motivates students and makes their homework assignments meaningful. Students either understand the grammar concepts prior to class or they come to class with informed, intelligent questions due to the SAM practices. And, because less time in class is devoted to grammar review, says Professor Macdonald, we are able to focus more on speaking and communicative practice. MySpanishLab has made for a noticeably higher level of communicative ability among my students. in a representative section of intro to Spanish i for which final grades were recorded in spring 2009, the average grade for 27 students was 85. Grade distribution was: A 6; B 15; C 4; d 2. MySpanishL ab pedagogical goals while effectively meeting the varied learning needs of students. Dr. Lunden E. MacDonald expanding use of myspanishlab Professor Macdonald is exploiting more of MySpanishLab s features in two accelerated summer courses (5 credits in just 5 weeks.) She reports, These classes are normally delivered over 16 weeks. in the summer, it is not infrequent to have a quiz over a chapter on one day and then a big exam or midterm the next day. By doing SAMs and quizzes in MySpanishLab, i know that my students are getting the immediate feedback without having to wait a night for me to take the quiz home, grade it manually, etc. They can use the grading feedback immediately and we can maintain our extremely tight schedule. Reflecting on the department s choice to integrate MySpanishLab, Professor Macdonald says, MySpanishLab helps teachers teach better and students learn better! MySpanishLab provides best-practice technological support for instructors pedagogical goals while effectively meeting the varied learning needs of students. We will absolutely continue to use MySpanishLab and incorporate it further and further into our daily instruction. future Looking ahead to fall, Professor Macdonald expects to continue expanding the use of MySpanishLab in the introductory courses and is reviewing MySpanishLab for use in a new pre-introductory course and for courses at the intermediate level as well. She reports that her colleagues teaching italian have adopted MyitalianLab for their program and that the German faculty are eagerly awaiting MyGermanLab, currently in development. For a product tour or to find out more, please visit ALSo AvAILAbLE: MyFrenchLab and MyItalianLab AvAILAbLE For FALL 2010 CLASSES: MyChineseLab AvAILAbLE For SPrIng 2011 CLASSES: MyLatinLab CoMIng Soon: MygermanLab, MyPortugueseLab, MyrussianLab 19

22 Western Michigan University Course Name Principles of Microeconomics Credit Hours Three Semesters Covered Spring 2007 Fall 2007 Types of Data Reported Correlation of Final Grades and Time Spent on Task Textbook in Use with MyEconLab MyEconL ab Microeconomics, 2e, 2006, Hubbard and O Brien MyEconLab Course Structure Course Design Principles of Microeconomics is a semester-long, on-campus, lecture-format course. Classes comprise more than 200 students and meet two days a week for 75 minutes per session. There are no discussion sessions. Students are required to complete one MyEconLab homework assignment for approximately every week in which they do not have an exam. Homework is assigned at the end of discussion of the chapter; students have approximately one week to complete it. Assessments Students must complete a practice quiz and earn a minimum score of 70 percent before attempting the weekly homework assignment. Multiple attempts to pass the quiz are allowed. Students can earn a total of 600 points: 300 points Three exams (two midterms, one final) 100 points Two in-class quizzes 200 points Eight MyEconLab homework assignments MyEconLab Implementation Homework is completed in MyEconLab and consists of 25 to 35 multiple-choice questions. When appropriate, homework questions take advantage of the MyEconLab graphing capabilities. All MyEconLab support tools including E-text, Guided Solutions, and the Instructor are allowed. Use of the Study Plan is encouraged but not required. Off-line quiz and test scores are entered into MyEconLab. This ensures easy, centralized access to all student scores. MyEconLab Course Results MyEconLab usage increased from one semester to the next. Student end-of-course reviews suggest that the increase was due in part to student word of mouth about the program. Data in Table 1 indicates a clear correlation between time spent on MyEconLab and exam scores. By combining exam scores for both classes and time spent on the program for both classes, one can see that of those students whose score decreased one letter grade or more from exam 1 to exam 2, 64 percent spent less time on the program before exam 2 than they did before exam 1. Of those students whose score decreased more than 10 points, 75 percent spent less time on MyEconLab before the second exam. Similarly, of those students whose score increased one letter grade or more, 63 percent spent more time on MyEconLab Contribution of MyEconLab to Final Grade Use of MyEconLab contributes 33 percent of the final course grade. before the second exam than they did before the first. Of those students whose score increased more than 10 points, 72 percent spent more time on MyEconLab before the second exam. For both semesters, use of the Study Plan was minimal before the first exam and increased by semester s end and the final exam. Spring 2007, 35 students used the Study Plan between exams 1 and 2. Sixty-one students (32 percent) used the Study Plan before the final exam. Fall 2007, 42 students used the Study Plan between exams 1 and 2. Sixty-seven (35 percent) used the Study Plan before the final exam. 4 W W W. M Y E C O N L A B. C O M 20 Raising the Bar: A Compendium of Case Studies on the Effectiveness of Pearson s MyLab and Mastering Programs

23 WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY, CONT D. MyEconLab provides students the timely feedback they desire and gives professors more time to spend doing what we want to do: teach. Michael Ryan Western Michigan University Average Time Spent Average Time Spent Final Grade on Required Homework Assignments on Optional Study Plan Average Total Time Spent Spring 2007 Fall 2007 Spring 2007 Fall 2007 Spring 2007 Fall 2007 A (4.0) 11 hrs, 28 mins 13hrs, 44mins 2 hrs, 20 mins 3 hrs, 43 mins 13 hrs, 48 mins 17 hrs, 27 mins BA (3.5) 15 hrs, 02 mins 20 hrs, 59 mins 0 hrs, 38 mins 2 hrs, 40 mins 15 hrs, 40 mins 23 hrs, 39 mins B (3.0) 14 hrs, 30 mins 16 hrs, 13 mins 1 hr, 02 mins 2 hrs, 12 mins 15 hrs, 32 mins 18 hrs, 25 mins CB (2.5) 11 hrs, 45 mins 12 hrs, 13 mins 1 hr, 32 mins 2 hrs, 38 mins 13 hrs, 17 mins 14 hrs, 51 mins C (2.0) 10 hrs, 37 mins 11 hrs, 35 mins 2 hrs, 04 mins 3 hrs, 58 mins 12 hrs, 41 mins 15 hrs, 33 mins DC (1.5) 7 hrs, 18 mins 9 hrs, 23 mins 0 hrs, 04 mins 0 hrs, 46 mins 7 hrs, 22 mins 10 hrs, 37 mins D (1.0) 9 hrs, 20 mins 0 hrs, 32 mins 9 hrs, 52 mins E (0.0) 8 hrs, 52 mins 3 hrs, 25 mins 0 hrs, 16 mins 1 hr, 07 mins 9 hrs, 8 mins 4 hrs, 32 mins Total 13 hrs, 47 mins 13 hrs, 15 mins 1 hr, 24 mins 3 hrs, 15 mins 15 hrs, 11 mins 16 hrs, 30 mins MyEconL ab Table 1. Correlation of Final Grades and Time Spent Using MyEconLab, Spring 2007 and Fall 2007 (n=391) What Students Are Saying Ryan s students had the following comments about MyEconLab. MyEconLab gives me the chance to practice as much as I need to. The homework link to the e-text has helped me learn how to read textbooks. Practice, practice, practice! MyEconLab gave me so many opportunities to do practice problems. MyEconLab helped me study. I like that I received instant feedback when I answered a question. I wish Dr. Ryan had made the Study Plan mandatory. It really helped me. I love the calendar. I wish I could put everything on it. Conclusions Based on MyEconLab s contribution to increased student success, Ryan is making the following changes to his curriculum: Increased emphasis on MyEconLab s Study Plan: The data shows that student performance increased with its use, so he plans to work toward requiring its use. Requirement of a MyEconLab quiz before each homework assignment. Additional office hours each week in a computer lab: This will enable Ryan to work directly in MyEconLab with his students to actively reinforce both their knowledge of the material and their understanding of MyEconLab. Submitted by Michael Ryan, Associate Professor Department of Economics, Western Michigan University W W W. M Y M A T H L A B. C O M

24 Making it Click IMS Learning Award myitlab Bunker Hill Community College Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) is a multicampus institution comprising two main campuses and five satellite campuses in and around the Greater Boston metropolitan area. Founded in 1973, BHCC enrolls more than 8,900 students in day, evening, weekend, Web-based, and distance-learning courses and programs. Through more than 65 associate degree and certificate programs, the college prepares students for both immediate employment and transfer to four-year universities. As early adopters of technology-based learning systems, Mike Puopolo, professor and chairperson of Bunker Hill Community College s (BHCC s) Computer Information Technology (CIT) department, and his colleagues were familiar with the benefits of delivering learning via online and multimedia venues. But by spring 2006, they were looking for a learning management system that was more comprehensive than the one they were then using. In March 2006, Puopolo began working with a Pearson team on customizing the entire course series from content to delivery. All of BHCC s myitlab courses share a common portal, navigation theme, and user interface, says Puopolo. Students log in once and never have to go anywhere else. Customized course content, plus all of the resources they could ever need podcasts, sound bites, demo documents is available through myitlab in one centralized location. We even integrated YouTube into it. The myitlab application provides Puopolo and the other CIT instructors with the full learning system they d been seeking. We love the Gradebook, the discussion features, the textbookbased training, the pre- and posttests all of it; myitlab has enabled us to streamline our teaching and present more material in a more coherent fashion, he says. After examining the changing learning habits of the more and more technologically savvy students entering his classroom, Puopolo decided to tailor his course offerings with those students in mind. We re piloting a customized ebook in six sections of the course, he says. It reduced the price of the textbook, and the students seem to prefer it. If end-of-semester surveys indicate, we ll move all 40-plus sections to ebooks this spring. myitlab s customized ebooks enable Puopolo s students to do universal searches of the book for individual terms and thereby facilitate their test taking. Other benefits include the integration of multimedia directly into the ebook. Puopolo was one of the first to volunteer for the testing of myitlab s Grader. It s a great addition for instructors and students, he says. It gives me a definite advantage in terms of being able to assign projects. My students are receiving much more detailed information about what they ve done right and what they ve done wrong than I could offer them in the same amount of time. Puopolo specifically appreciates Grader s underlying pedagogy. It dovetails with task-based testing, he says. Students work on the same document, correcting and resubmitting until they ve mastered a skill. By seeing what they ve done wrong and correcting it themselves, the learning is reinforced. Results go directly into the Gradebook, where they can then see immediately their work s impact on their grade. BHCC s enrollments are up 25 percent from last year. The result is an exponential increase in the number of sections and the times they are offered. Our president is committed to not turning away students, says Puopolo. Some departments 22 Raising the Bar: A Compendium of Case Studies on the Effectiveness of Pearson s MyLab and Mastering Programs

25 tiand oston, r- ems, r Hill a- ues via they t was sing. rson s inever nt, casts, ted other on are even running midnight courses. myitlab enables us to handle the increased scale without losing integrity. All instructors, whether full-time or adjuncts, whether on-site or online are presented with a fully populated course, Case including Studies assessments, PowerPoints, demos, multimedia features, and all the assignments. We train adjuncts to deliver this course in a quality fashion in about six hours. Many of Puopolo s newest students are returning for workforce retraining and were priced out of four-year schools. myitlab offers these students the kinds of real, on-the-ground skills they ll need regardless of career path, he says. You need these skills everywhere. myitlab enables us to handle the increased scale without losing integrity. All instructors, whether full-time or adjuncts, whether onsite or online are presented with a fully populated course Mike Puopolo Bunker Hill Community College BHCC his classroom, is part of Puopolo the National decided Science to tailor Foundation s his course Bostonarea offerings Advanced with Technological those students Education in mind. We re Consortium a piloting a consortium customized of ebook colleges in and six sections universities of the promoting course, workforce he says. development It reduced in the information price of the technology textbook, in and the the Boston students region. Fulfilling seem to the prefer consortium s it. If end-of-semester mission required surveys commissioning indicate, a we ll cross-industry move all 40-plus workforce sections study to in ebooks We this learned spring. that small and large companies alike assume that graduates have the myitlab s customized ebooks enable Puopolo s students requisite technical skills to succeed, says Puopolo. What they to do universal searches of the book for individual look for above and beyond that are soft-side skills: the abilities terms and thereby facilitate their test taking. Other to work in teams, to creatively problem solve, to write clearly, and benefits to communicate include the verbally. integration Pearson s of multimedia vast wealth directly of content meant into the that ebook. we could respond to what we learned by further customizing Puopolo was myitlab one of with the Pearson s first to volunteer Self-Assessment for the testing Library, thereby of myitlab s creating Grader. our ideal It s learning a great addition management for instructors system. and students, he says. It gives me a definite advantage in terms of being able to assign projects. My students are receiving much more detailed information about what they ve done right and what they ve done wrong than I could offer them in the same amount of time. Puopolo specifically appreciates Grader s underlying pedagogy. It dovetails with task-based testing, he says. Puopolo s myitlab course folder also includes (1) a customized Pearson text entitled Professionalism: Real Skills for Workplace Success, (2) a group running case culminating in two formal presentations of the collaborative work done by each group, and (3) links to online meetings and collaborative workplace tools, such as Office Live. Off campus, BHCC leverages myitlab to further its commitment to providing computer and information technology training for community-based organizations in its service area. The college is able to provide elsewhere the same myitlab courses offered on its main and satellite campuses: onsite at organizations, including Action for Boston Community Development, Jewish Vocational Services, the New England Center for Homeless Veterans, and the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts. During the past two years, this kind of community outreach has benefited more than 300 students, who receive full college credit for courses taken in their own community settings. myitlab is much more flexible than I previously thought, says Puopolo. We re still a computer department and a computer course, but we can now provide our students with all of the 21st-century skills they need to get and keep a good job. It has enabled us to attain our goal of enhancing our students skill sets beyond grade point average to employability and promotability. It s an excellent product. myitlab 23

26 MyAccountingL ab The Power of Practice 2010: MyAccountingLab and 21st Century Accounting Instruction Spokane Community College More than 13,000 students (over 6,000 full-time equivalents) attend Spokane Community College (SCC). Whether they work full-time and attend school part-time to obtain the skills necessary for on-the-job advancement or whether they plan to transfer to four-year institutions, students at SCC know they will be supported by a breadth of curricular and student services designed to fulfill the school s tagline: In the business of helping you change your life. Jeffrey Waybright, accounting instructor at Spokane Community College, is no stranger to online courseware. Asked to develop online classes for the college several years ago, he learned an available program and created the classes but was never completely satisfied with it. Nearly four years ago, Waybright was introduced to MyAccountingLab. My previous experience left me hesitant, he says. But implementation of MyAccountingLab went smoothly, and it worked better than I anticipated it would. I really appreciate the Gradebook feature and the enhanced testing features. Since then, Waybright has integrated MyAccountingLab into all of his distance-learning and on-site courses, using it for everything: homework, quizzes, testing, study plans, tracking, grading, and communication with students. Recently, he increased the amount of homework he requires. I m trying to find a middle ground between students who don t need to do a lot of homework and motivating those who need more time on task, he says. MyAccountingLab helps Waybright respond to the needs of both distance-learning and on-site students. Distance students don t have the same access to me, he says. MyAccountingLab offers them access to resources and the ability to walk through a problem [Help Me Solve This] immediately, at any hour. One distance-learning student recently told me, Don t feel bad, but I don t really need you. I ll you if I do. Waybright doesn t feel bad. In fact, during a recent quarter, the scores on the first test in his online class were higher than the scores in his on-site class. The classes have the same demographic, he says. The only difference is that some couldn t get the class time they wanted. Students in Waybright s on-site classes also embrace the program. Once students realize that all the resources they need are available in MyAccountingLab, they re no longer intimidated by the topic, he says. They have at their fingertips everything they need to succeed. I can watch their homework and quiz scores and see that they re doing great. They re learning, they re getting their grades, and they re happy. Data from SCC s Introduction to Accounting courses (see page 4) support Waybright s observations. Of those students who completed the class, the percentage earning 3.1 to 4.0 has But MyAccountingLab isn t just for students with problems. One of Turner s A-grade students an accounting major on the president s list said, I love MyAccountingLab. Why can t we use it in all our classes? Turner s classes have changed since making the switch to MyAccountingLab. More students do their homework now, she says. Before using MyAccountingLab, I d assign homework, and students would show up with a blank sheet of paper. Retention was low, frustration steadily risen since implementation of MyAccountingLab s from was approximately high, and the first 34 percent test scores prior were to adoption very low. to Now 52 percent now, that three my students years after have adoption. instant feedback that they can receive assistance at the moment they need it they re Students who want more instructor contact can use the Ask doing their homework, and everything s changed. My Instructor feature, which Waybright encourages. In the Both past, students when students and faculty ed will tell me you questions, that RCCC I frequently wondered accounting what classes they were are hard. talking Drop/fail about, rates he says. in the Student range communication of 25 to 50 percent isn t always used to clear. be the Ask norm. My Instructor Since adopting links me MyAccountingLab, to exactly where they however, are and that what rate the has problem dropped is. It facilitates significantly. my giving Our them drop/failure meaningful rate has responses declined that to can really 10 to help 25 them. percent, says Turner. It means that fewer MyAccountingLab s students repeat the class immediate and that feedback a greater helps, number too, says Waybright. complete It their holds degree the on interest time. of a newer generation of learners, My students who are have used become to instant more gratification. responsible And for as their a learning tool, it not only indicates right or wrong but also shows students own learning, says Turner. They re doing better in why they didn t get it the first time and how to do it right. Students master one concept before moving on to the next. Some students are slower, and some are faster. With MyAccountingLab, neither group impedes the class as a whole. They all get exactly what they need at their own pace. Robin Turner Rowan-Cabarrus Community College For Waybright and the rest of his department, one of the primary motivations to use MyAccountingLab is the consistency of assessment. No matter who your teacher is or whether your class is on-site or online, using MyAccountingLab ensures that our assessments and our quality standards are the same and that our measurement outcomes are the same, he says. It means our students will always be prepared for the next course. Even the adjuncts have embraced MyAccountingLab. As coordinator of the course, I set up everything ahead of time: the quizzes are written, and the homework is all there, says Waybright. It makes it easy for adjuncts to step in. I think it has helped us get adjuncts, particularly those with time considerations, such as working CPAs. It s those kinds of full-course support that have hooked Waybright: He knows that students are more likely to use a program if they have a positive experience. It saves him time, streamlines departmental communication, and enables him to gain support from adjuncts without compromising assessment integrity. Most important, it works. learning Spokane More th equivale (SCC). W part-tim advance year inst supporte services business Jeffrey W Commu ware. As several y created t with it. N duced to left me h MyAcco than I an Gradebo Since th into all o using it study pl students work he between work an task, he MyAcco needs of Distanc 24

27 What are students saying? MySpanishLab I use MySpanishLab a lot because I m always on the computer and it s right there, so if I m feeling like I can take out some homework assignments, I ll just log in to it, do a few while I can, and it really helps me not procrastinate on things like leaving a workbook until the very end. I would definitely recommend MySpanishLab to anyone getting involved in a foreign language program. Student, Illinois State University MyEconLab MyEconLab is an online program that helps you understand material better. While studying for a test or going over notes, it is a perfect complement for you to gain understanding of the material. As long as you take the time to help yourself, MyEconLab will definitely help you and your grade. Student, Northern Illinois University myitlab It s been 20 years since I ve taken a computer course. Thanks to the trainings in myitlab and the instructor s patience, I have completed the course with some very important skills. Student MyAccountingLab I think that MyAccountingLab is a great tool to have with such a difficult class. Accounting itself takes a lot of practice you need to really work at it to get it, so having all the practice quizzes, homework, and everything there for you makes it a lot easier for you to succeed in such a hard class. Student, Penn State University

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