The purpose of this study was to determine faculty members' self-reported use and implementation of good practices in their developmental mathematics classrooms. Participants in this study were full-time or part-time (adjunct) mathematics instructors that taught developmental mathematics courses at two-year colleges. Participants completed a…

How should colleges determine whether students are placed into developmental or college-level courses? Each year, colleges place millions of students into developmental math and English courses upon enrollment. To do so, colleges most often use a high-stakes placement test, which numerous research studies have shown to be highly inaccurate in…

This article describes the process used to develop and assess an NSF-funded instructional innovation: an online collection (https://www.CAUSEweb.org/smiles/) of 28 interactive songs of high esthetic quality designed to span literature-based learning objectives of introductory statistics that develop statistical literacy and reasoning. The…

The statistics about community college developmental math level and completion rates can seem disheartening, especially for those who work with these students day-to-day and know their life stories. When it comes to teaching her students, the author chooses not to focus on the statistics. Instead, she pays attention to their varied career goals…

Student success and retention in postsecondary education, particularly in the area of mathematics, is a significant concern for educators across the nation. Over 60 percent of students who pass remedial math will persist to graduation, but less than 10 percent of those who fail will graduate. Many students in remedial courses have low…

Much attention during the past decade has been given to the need to develop a well-trained early childhood education workforce. In order to address this need, the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) awarded Early Childhood Educator Preparation Program Innovation (EPPI) grants to institutions of higher learning. The IBHE funded partnerships,…

The Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) provided Early Childhood Educator Preparation Program Innovation (EPPI) grants to 20 partnerships comprised of two- and four-year institutions to further develop models for early childhood educator preparation and build capacity in key areas of need. Recipients used grant funds to design and implement…

The Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) provided Early Childhood Educator Preparation Program Innovation (EPPI) grants to 20 partnerships comprised of two- and four-year institutions to further develop models for early childhood educator preparation and build capacity in key areas of need. Recipients used grant funds to design and implement…

Basic brain function is not a mystery. Given that neuroscientists understand the brain's basic functioning processes, one wonders what their research suggests to teachers of developmental algebra. What if we knew how to teach so as to improve understanding of the algebra taught to developmental algebra students? What if we knew how the brain…

The orders of presentation of pre-calculus and calculus topics, and the notation used, deserve careful study as they affect clarity and ultimately students' level of understanding. We introduce an alternate approach to some of the topics included in this sequence. The suggested alternative is based on years of teaching in colleges within and…

Over the past ten years, traditional lecture style delivery has given way to computer-aided instruction (CAI) in post-secondary education. Developmental mathematics courses have been one of the most widely used applications. At a small community college in the Mississippi Delta, a computer assisted version of Intermediate Algebra was implemented.…

Three short articles on teaching procedures are presented. They concern: (1) a simple introduction to the derivative; (2) using derivatives to solve polynomial equations; and (3) mathematical applications in problems concerning force due to gravity. (JG)

Suggests five steps for organizing learning experiences involving computational skills for adult basic education programs: (1) meet the needs of students; (2) incorporate lessons in communication; (3) use a variety of materials; (4) begin instruction where the student's knowledge leaves off; and (5) teach by means of concrete useful examples. (MB)

Argues for the rich development of mathematical ideas that can flow from considering the apparently simple question of finding a divisibility test for the number six. Presents approaches to teaching this topic that could be interesting to teachers. (ASK)

Presents a description of a remedial mathematics program conducted at Bronx Community College, New York, that served a largely Black and Hispanic population. Outlines several techniques for enabling students to overcome their difficulties with mathematics. (APM)