The effects of a computerized-algebra program on mathematics achievement of college and university freshmen enrolled in a developmental mathematics course

摘要

We face a world in which a college degree increasingly dictates the likelihood oflife success. At the same time, there has been an ever-increasing population of studentswho have not been prepared adequately through their high school education to meet therigors of college/university-level content. This problem can be seen in the number ofstudents needing Intermediate Algebra. Students who complete remedial courses with agrade of C or better are more likely to pass their first college-level mathematics courseand continue their education until they have completed all coursework needed for adegree.Students entering colleges and universities underprepared for collegiatemathematics, reading, and writing have reached epidemic proportions, with 30% of thestudents needing remediation in one of these areas. A portion of this problem has beenidentified as mathematics anxiety. Because students have habituated mathematicsfailure, they are aware of their deficiencies, but still desire a college education. They bring with them years of negative emotions from repeated mathematics failures. Theseyears of negative feelings about mathematics precipitated by repeated failures are oftenmanifested as mathematics anxiety that must be addressed in order to improve students??????content knowledge.The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of a web-based technologycentric course, Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS), on theremediation of college freshmen enrolled in an Intermediate Algebra class as comparedto college freshmen enrolled in an Intermediate Algebra class taught using a traditionallecture method. Mathematics anxiety and attitude toward mathematics will also beinvestigated to determine if ALEKS can lower the anxiety associated with mathematics,as well as improve attitudes. An algebra test, mathematics anxiety rating scale, andmathematics attitude test was given to both groups of students at the beginning of thesemester and at the end of the semester.The overall findings of this research suggested that ALEKS Intermediate Algebrastudents performed as well as the Control group taking a class in Intermediate Algebrataught by lecture. The anxiety of the Experimental group decreased more than theControl group, and the Experimental group??????s attitude toward mathematics increased at agreater rate than did the Control group.