an evaluation of students’ experiences in technology-based courses in mathematics and statistics
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An Evaluation of Students’ Experiences in Technology-based Courses in Mathematics and Statistics. Background. University of Applied Sciences (FH) Schmalkalden Established in 1991 5 Faculties 3,000 students Faculty of Business and Economics Established in 1992 4 Bachelor programs - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Karsten Schmidt: Students’ Experiences in Technology-based Courses in Maths & Stats1
An Evaluation of Students’ Experiences in Technology-based
Courses in Mathematics and Statistics
Karsten Schmidt: Students’ Experiences in Technology-based Courses in Maths & Stats2
Background
• University of Applied Sciences (FH) Schmalkalden– Established in 1991– 5 Faculties– 3,000 students
• Faculty of Business and Economics– Established in 1992– 4 Bachelor programs– 1 Master program (English)– 600 students
Karsten Schmidt: Students’ Experiences in Technology-based Courses in Maths & Stats3
History of Matrix Algebra course
• Until 2001– Regular classroom (2 groups of up to 70 students)– Blackboard & overhead projector; pocket calculators
• 2002– In PC lab: 2 of 15 weeks
• 2003 - 2004– In PC lab: every other week (4 groups ≤ 40)
• Since 2005– In PC lab only (3 groups ≤ 40)
Karsten Schmidt: Students’ Experiences in Technology-based Courses in Maths & Stats4
History of Intermediate Statistics course
• Until 2001– Regular classroom (2 groups of up to 70 students)– Blackboard & overhead projector; pocket calculators
• 2002– In PC lab: every other week (4 groups ≤ 40)
• 2003– In PC lab: 12 of 26 lectures (3 groups ≤ 54)
• Since 2004– In PC lab only (3 groups ≤ 40)
General Design of Bachelor Programs
Karsten Schmidt: Students’ Experiences in Technology-based Courses in Maths & Stats5
Karsten Schmidt: Students’ Experiences in Technology-based Courses in Maths & Stats6
Questionnaire Survey 09A (part 1)
.
Questionnaire Survey 09A (part 2)
Karsten Schmidt: Students’ Experiences in Technology-based Courses in Maths & Stats7
Overall averages for statements (Survey 09A)
Stmt. No.
Statement N=96
S1 Working with Derive is no big problem for me
4,5
S2 Derive allows more vivid problem solving
4,1
S3 Derive helps me to avoid mistakes
4,8
S4 I can work faster when using Derive
4,9
S6 Derive makes me feel more confident when solving problems
4,6
S7 I use Derive to check results 4,3 S5 I “voluntarily” use Derive for other
courses too1,8
S8 I like mathematics and statistics 3,0
Karsten Schmidt: Students’ Experiences in Technology-based Courses in Maths & Stats8
Frequency distribution of responses to statement S8 (Survey 09A)
definitelytrue …
definitelynot
true
8. I like mathematics and statistics. 6 5 4 3 2 1
8 14 13 16 28 17
Karsten Schmidt: Students’ Experiences in Technology-based Courses in Maths & Stats9
Students’ attitudes towards technology (Survey 09A)
Karsten Schmidt: Students’ Experiences in Technology-based Courses in Maths & Stats10
Frequency distribution of responses to last question in questionnaire (Survey 09A)
Please turn this questionnaire over to find your result (as percentage of total points) in the “Matrix Algebra” part of the “Mathematics II” examination last semester, and mark the respective category accordingly
0-20% 21-30% 31-40% 41-50% 51-60% 61-80% 81-100%
1 5 11 20 7 8 12
Karsten Schmidt: Students’ Experiences in Technology-based Courses in Maths & Stats11
Female vs. male students (Survey 09A)
Karsten Schmidt: Students’ Experiences in Technology-based Courses in Maths & Stats12
S1 S2 S3 S4 S6 S7 S5 S81.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
female male all
“Don’t like maths & stats” vs. “Like maths & stats” students (Survey 09A)
Karsten Schmidt: Students’ Experiences in Technology-based Courses in Maths & Stats13
S1 S2 S3 S4 S6 S7 S5 S81.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
dontlikeM&S likeM&S all
Negative vs. indifferent vs. positive “Attitude towards Technology” students (Survey 09A)
Karsten Schmidt: Students’ Experiences in Technology-based Courses in Maths & Stats14
S1 S2 S3 S4 S6 S7 S5 S81.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
AtoT = 0 AtoT = 1 AtoT = 2 all
Low- (no more than 40%) vs. high- (more than 80%) performance students (Survey 09A)
Karsten Schmidt: Students’ Experiences in Technology-based Courses in Maths & Stats15
S1 S2 S3 S4 S6 S7 S5 S81.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
1,2,3 4 5,67 all
Hypotheses based on previous results
• Male students have more positive attitudes towards CAS use in mathematics education than female students
• Students who are more open to computer use in the teaching of mathematics and statistics also have in general more positive attitudes towards CAS use in mathematics education
• Students who are better in mathematics also have more positive attitudes towards CAS use in mathematics education
Karsten Schmidt: Students’ Experiences in Technology-based Courses in Maths & Stats16
Regression models
Karsten Schmidt: Students’ Experiences in Technology-based Courses in Maths & Stats17
Independent variables:
• Male dummy variable: 1 if male, 0 if female;• AtoT “Attitude towards Technology” (this is defined as the
number of courses a student would prefer as a technology-supported course in the PC lab instead of as a traditional course in a lecture hall (possible values: none, one of two, both));
• PercMA percentage of points in Matrix Algebra portion of “Mathematics II” exam (generated by replacing the values of the variable, which contains the answers to the last question in the questionnaire, by the respective mid-points of the categories).
0 1 2 3Sx b bMale b AtoT b PercMA
Linear regression results (Survey 09A)
dependent variable: R² const. Male AtoT PercMA
S1 no big problem working with 0.17 3.37 0.12 0.21 0.017
S2 more vivid problem solving 0.10 3.36 -0.01 0.36 0.008
S3 helps to avoid mistakes 0.30 3.80 0.48 0.36 0.011
S4 work faster when using it 0.22 3.78 0.31 0.45 0.011
S6 more confident problem solving 0.18 3.61 0.12 0.26 0.016
S7 use to check results 0.12 3.66 -0.47 0.38 0.011
S5 use also for other courses 0.13 1.12 0.04 0.50 0.004
S8 like maths and stats 0.19 1.88 0.10 -0.31 0.030
Karsten Schmidt: Students’ Experiences in Technology-based Courses in Maths & Stats18
Conclusions (Survey 09A)
• A first option to improve the status quo:Increase the proportion of time devoted to CAS use in the voluntary tutorial (2 hours each week).
• A better option:Set aside a couple hours for an introduction to a CAS during the three-day bridge course offered the week before the first semester starts, demonstrating its usefulness for all four compulsory courses in mathematics and statistics.
• Probably the best option:Dedicate between 2 and 4 hours of the compulsory Information Technology course in the first semester to an introduction to a CAS; it would then be seen more as a general instrument and the computer viewed also as an assistant for mathematics.
Karsten Schmidt: Students’ Experiences in Technology-based Courses in Maths & Stats19
Overall averages for statements (all 4 surveys)
Karsten Schmidt: Students’ Experiences in Technology-based Courses in Maths & Stats20
Survey 09A Survey 09B Survey 10A Survey 10B
N 96 86 77 65
S1 no big problem working with 4,5 4,3 4,8 4,9S2 more vivid problem solving 4,1 3,9 4,5 4,5S3 helps to avoid mistakes 4,8 4,6 4,6 4,9S4 work faster when using it 4,9 4,7 4,9 5,1S6 more confident problem solving 4,6 4,4 4,7S7 use to check results 4,3 3,8 4,7S5 use also for other courses 1,8 2,1S8 like maths and stats 3,0 3,7 3,5 3,6
S5no big problem working with SPSS
3,8
S6use of freeware instead of SPSS
4,2
S7 real stats only possible on PC 3,8
S8tech-support: [computations] easier
4,1
S9tech-support: more understandable
4,0
S5 practise regularly 2,8
Differences between cohorts
Karsten Schmidt: Students’ Experiences in Technology-based Courses in Maths & Stats21
S1
S2
S3
S4
S6
S7
S5
S8
1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5
Survey 10BSurvey 09A
2009 cohort: changing attitudes over time
Karsten Schmidt: Students’ Experiences in Technology-based Courses in Maths & Stats22
S1
S2
S3
S4
S8
1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5
Survey 09BSurvey 09A
2010 cohort: changing attitudes over time
Karsten Schmidt: Students’ Experiences in Technology-based Courses in Maths & Stats23
S1
S2
S3
S4
S6
S7
S8
1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5
Survey 10BSurvey 10A
Reference
Karsten Schmidt & Anke Köhler (2012):Teaching Mathematics in the PC Lab – The Students’ ViewpointsInternational Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and TechnologyDOI:10.1080/0020739X.2012.714490
Link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0020739X.2012.714490
Karsten Schmidt: Students’ Experiences in Technology-based Courses in Maths & Stats24