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A Calculus Study: Class Preparation Worksheets

This project implemented Class Preparation Worksheets (CPWs) in a Calculus I class to enhance students' class preparation, study habits, and mathematical writing skills. The CPWs provided a way for students to outline the section, ask questions, and communicate with the instructor. Student feedback was positive, indicating increased preparedness and understanding. Further research is needed to analyze additional survey questions and evaluate the impact of CPWs on enjoyment, confidence, and persistence in mathematics.

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A Calculus Study: Class Preparation Worksheets

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  1. A Calculus Study: Class Preparation Worksheets Sarah Ann Fleming, Belmont University Collaborators at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville: Joan Lind, Anne Ho, and Allison Wolf

  2. What is the project? • Prior to coming to Calculus I class, students were required to read the section being taught in class that day. • Students were asked to complete a Class Preparation Worksheet (CPW) and submit it through Blackboard by 6 a.m. the day of the class. • The instructor would read the CPW’s before class and make changes/additions to the lesson plan for that day based on feedback from the CPW’s. • To encourage participation, completion of CPW’s was worth 5-7% of the final grade.

  3. Class Preparation Worksheets (CPW) • Section and specific pages to be read. • Four boxes • Write a few sentences summarizing the section here. • Formulas and techniques to remember. • What questions and concerns do you have? • Reasoning behind the answer for preliminary question ___ from this section.

  4. Goals for the project • Students will be better prepared for class by reading the section beforehand. • Teach students good study habits • What does it mean to be prepared for class? • Provide students a way to outline the section. • Increase students’ ability to write mathematics. • Add another channel of communication with the instructor.

  5. How did it go? • Project implemented at Belmont University in Spring 2018 (one class of 23 students) and Fall 2018 (two classes of 25 and 26 students). • In Spring 2018, 70% of students completed at least 70% of CPW’s. • In Fall 2018, 76% of students completed at least 70% of CPW’s.

  6. Student Feedback • The CPW’s were helpful because I would be aware of the topics we were going to cover in class before class, so the topics were not foreign or new. It was helpful to see the proofs and explanations of the topics we covered even if the book was confusing at times. My favorite part of the CPW’s was the question section because you always answered our questions during class. • This process … made me skim through the book before class. I have never done this in a math class before, so it helped me already have an idea of what we were talking about and gave me the chance to ask questions on what confused me.

  7. Student Feedback • I found completing the CPW’s to be very helpful in class when I would have the time to thoroughly complete them… Unfortunately, later in the semester when I had other assignments prioritized, it would lead me to rush through the CPW’s without really understanding the material – telling myself I’ll learn it in class the next day. • To be honest, I had a hard time remembering to do them, but when I did remember, I found that reading the material never quite made as much sense as having someone explain it.

  8. Instructor Feedback • The “What questions and concerns do you have?” box was the most helpful part. • What material were they missing from the previous section(s)? • Through their reading, they had questions on the section that I hadn’t anticipated. • Their questions could be very specific or very broad.

  9. Instructor Feedback • The CPW’s gave students another way to communicate with the instructor. • Three times a week, students could type any questions and have them anonymously answered in class. • Great for shy/quiet students and great for those coming from a “texting” culture. • Rather than responding to students through email, I could address the questions in class.

  10. Instructor Feedback The downside? Time….

  11. The Research • Conducted Student Pre-Surveys and Post-Surveys with 3 treatment sections and two control sections. • Survey questions were largely taken from the MAA National Study of College Calculus. • Collected ACT scores and final exam scores for the 5 sections of Calculus I.

  12. Initial Observations • Although the treatment sections’ final exam scores were higher on average, when correlated with ACT scores, the difference was not statistically significant. • We also did not observe any added increase in enjoyment/confidence/persistence of mathematics with the treatment sections.

  13. Further Research • Analyze more survey questions using the Belmont data. • Conduct a qualitative study of the Class Preparation Worksheets themselves.

  14. Thank you! Questions? Sarah Ann Fleming sarahann.fleming@belmont.edu

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