Implementation of Just in Time and revamped engineering math courses to improve retention and graduation rates

摘要

We have created Just in Time Math (JITM) course for freshmen engineering students who show deficiency in math. The result has shifted the traditional emphasis on math prerequisite requirements for engineering classes to an emphasis on engineering motivation for math, with a “just-in-time” structuring of the new math sequence. Students still have to follow the traditional math sequences, however, the pre-requisites for some of the core engineering courses have changed from Calculus I to the newly developed Math classes. We have also incorporated engineering examples into the traditional and engineering mathematics courses. Since 2009, we have been offering cohorts of about 25 engineering freshmen every fall on a voluntary basis. The preliminary results indicate moderate improvements in the retention rate and GPA of participating students.