Quantitative Literacy Assessment Report-05

Quantitative Literacy Assessment Report

The Assessment Plan submitted 15 months ago for the QL portion of the General Learning Outcomes was comprised of the following elements:

Plan elements: (pre-pilot: Maymester 2004, full pilot in regu= lar summer 2004; full implementation fall 2004)

1)&n= bsp; Attitude survey.&n= bsp;

The survey was administered via Web= CT. All MATH 1101, 1111, 1113, and 2211 students were asked to complete the sur= vey. Most instructors offered a couple of “bonus points” to students= who completed the survey (instructors were provided a list of students who completed the survey but in no way are responses tied to individual student= s) in an effort to increase response rates. A contributing factor to the Post percentage being significantly lower is the student withdrawal rate.

PREFIX=	NUMBER=	HEADS<= /p>	RESPONDANTS	RESPONSE RATE
=	=	200501=	Pre	Post	200408=	200501=
MATH	1101	650	365	265	56.15%	40.77%
MATH	1111	307	117	112	38.11%	36.48%
MATH	1113	464	229	148	49.35%	31.90%
MATH	2211	322	160	129	49.69%	40.06%
<= o:p>	Total	1743<= /span>	871	654	49.97%	37.52%

The last question on the survey was a basic quantitative literacy question based on material all students admitted to the university should have in their background (they are common elements of an Algebra II course – see at= tached QCC). The spring semester “pre” QL problem was:

= ;

Maximize: z =3D 3x + 5y
Subject to: &= nbsp; x < 4, y < = 6, 3x + 2y < 18, x > 0, y >0

= ;

52 students = got this problem correct, distributed as follows:

<= /o:p>

1101	1111	1113	2211	Total Correct	Total Responses
17	5	12	18	52	871

32.7%	9.6%	23.1%	34.6%	100.0%	5.97%

<= /o:p>

The spring semester “post” QL problem was:

<= /o:p>

You are building a rectangular pen with three parallel partitions using 500 feet of fencing. What is the maximum possible area of this pen? See the diagram below.

1101	1111	1113	2211	Total	Total Responses
11	6	8	17	42	654

26.2%	14.3%	19.0%	40.5%	100.0%	6.42%

&= nbsp; The level of “success” on these questions is disheartening at best. However, the “I don’t know” responses were often humorous= .

<= /o:p>

Pre- and post-survey attitudinal data is still being analyzed from Fall 2004 and Spr= ing 2005.

<= /o:p>

2)&n= bsp; Pre/Post testing of student abilities in modeling.<= /p>

This has been slow to implement – hopefully this coming year.

<= /o:p>

3)&n= bsp; Technology Component.

See attached files.

4) Problem-based learning exerci= ses. (Partial implementation in the Fall 2004. )

Yet to be implemented.

&nb= sp;

5) Increase the writing componen= t in each Area A class by expanding the problem-based learning components in all classes.

&nbs= p; The department will vote on this policy August 19^th.