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Teaching College Algebra and Trigonometry with Supplemental Instruction at a Community College

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Conference

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Vancouver, BC

Publication Date

June 26, 2011

Start Date

June 26, 2011

End Date

June 29, 2011

ISSN

2153-5965

Conference Session

Issues and Answers in Mathematics Education

Tagged Division

Mathematics

Page Count

20

Page Numbers

22.1377.1 - 22.1377.20

DOI

10.18260/1-2--18842

Permanent URL

https://strategy.asee.org/18842

Download Count

541

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Paper Authors

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Paul Chanley North Essex Community College

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Program Coordinator of Engineering Science & Electronic Technology

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Michael E. Pelletier Northern Essex Community College

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Professor Emeritus of Computer Technology & Engineering at NECC. Currently Project Director for STEP-UP at NECC.

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Linda A. Desjardins Northern Essex Community College

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Lori Heymans Northern Essex Community College

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Abstract

Teaching College Algebra and Trig with Supplemental Instruction at a Community CollegeAbstract:During the fall of 2009, using support from a grant obtained by a major university, supplementalinstruction (SI) was integrated into one section of College Algebra and Trigonometry at acommunity college. The course College Algebra and Trigonometry was selected because it wasconsidered a gateway course to success in engineering and technology at the community college.In the spring of 2010, the supplemental instruction section of College Algebra and Trigonometrywas repeated with a different instructor.An evaluation of the supplemental instruction section of the course was conducted by an internalevaluator at the community college who concluded it demonstrated the clear effectiveness of theSI approach when compared with non-SI sections at the community college. Details of thisevaluation will be included in the paper.An independent outside evaluator compared the SI model used at this community college withthe SI models used at other community colleges participating in the grant and concluded that themodel used at this community college was superior. Details of this external evaluation will alsobe included in the paper.The paper will discuss the scheduling of the course and the adjustments to the traditional modelof supplemental instruction made necessary by the unique circumstances of a community collegewhere most students spend very limited hours on campus because of heavy work schedules andwhere there are no upper level undergraduates or graduate students available to function asstudent leaders.The paper will conclude with modifications to the supplemental instruction section of CollegeAlgebra and Trig which have been made in the fall of 2010 and the diffusion of the SI model toother courses at the community college.

Chanley, P., & Pelletier, M. E., & Desjardins, L. A., & Heymans, L. (2011, June), Teaching College Algebra and Trigonometry with Supplemental Instruction at a Community College Paper presented at 2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Vancouver, BC. 10.18260/1-2--18842

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