2008 Woodie Awards
University offers alternative for developmental math courses
Amanda L. Woods
Issue date: 10/19/06 Section: News
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By Amanda L. Woods
Staff Reporter
UTC will offer a math workshop as a refresher course for incoming freshmen beginning fall 2007.
Incoming students are required by the university to take a math placement test during orientation. But now those students who take it and are placed in developmental math may have an alternative route.
Students placed in Math 106 will have a chance to take an intense week-long course in the summer to be replaced in a math course. At the end of the week, students will take a post-test to evaluate their math skills.
According to Chancellor Roger Brown, instead of taking a full developmental course, students will be refreshed on the math they learned in high school.
"The hope is that students can quickly take a math refresher and move on, which makes students happier," Brown said.
The course will last six hours a day for five days.
John Graef, professor and head of the department of mathematics, said the math department is looking to create diversity in teaching methods for the course. He explained that part of the six-hour day will be held in the classroom, and the other part in the math lab working in groups.
"It is a short course to advance your placement level in mathematics," Graef said. Students will be housed on campus, but details have yet to be determined. According to the academic affairs office, the housing department is working on rooms that will be available during the summer.
According to the math department, the refresher course will cause little to no change for teachers or students already in developmental math.
"Teachers will not lose their jobs, [ but teachers] may be moved around," Graef said.
The math department is concerned with the number of students in developmental math. According to Graef, about 900 students are enrolled for developmental math in the fall, and 600 in the spring.
"People feel the math department is the bad guy," said Graef. "We don't want students in developmental math because it holds them back. We want students to succeed."
Staff Reporter
UTC will offer a math workshop as a refresher course for incoming freshmen beginning fall 2007.
Incoming students are required by the university to take a math placement test during orientation. But now those students who take it and are placed in developmental math may have an alternative route.
Students placed in Math 106 will have a chance to take an intense week-long course in the summer to be replaced in a math course. At the end of the week, students will take a post-test to evaluate their math skills.
According to Chancellor Roger Brown, instead of taking a full developmental course, students will be refreshed on the math they learned in high school.
"The hope is that students can quickly take a math refresher and move on, which makes students happier," Brown said.
The course will last six hours a day for five days.
John Graef, professor and head of the department of mathematics, said the math department is looking to create diversity in teaching methods for the course. He explained that part of the six-hour day will be held in the classroom, and the other part in the math lab working in groups.
"It is a short course to advance your placement level in mathematics," Graef said. Students will be housed on campus, but details have yet to be determined. According to the academic affairs office, the housing department is working on rooms that will be available during the summer.
According to the math department, the refresher course will cause little to no change for teachers or students already in developmental math.
"Teachers will not lose their jobs, [ but teachers] may be moved around," Graef said.
The math department is concerned with the number of students in developmental math. According to Graef, about 900 students are enrolled for developmental math in the fall, and 600 in the spring.
"People feel the math department is the bad guy," said Graef. "We don't want students in developmental math because it holds them back. We want students to succeed."
