Using e-Learning Platforms for Mastery Learning in Developmental Mathematics Courses

Mathematics and Computer Education, Spring 2004 by Boggs, Stacey, Shore, Mark, Shore, JoAnna

4. Teaching students who are at different learning objectives

The final obstacle, and perhaps the most daunting problem for the teacher, is to be able to teach students who are working on different content areas. Several recent technological developments are now available to meet this challenge. The developmental mathematics faculty at Allegany College of Maryland has found that collaborative learning, web enhancement of courses, and Blackboard cartridges provide acceptable solutions to teaching students who are focused on different objectives within the same course.

Collaborative Learning

One method of having students learn at their own pace is through the use of collaborative learning. The collaborative learning method of teaching sets up collaborative groups in which students assist each other. The teacher may have students work together during class on problems or have a group on-line homework assignment for students enrolled in a webenhanced course. Students can use Blackboard to send e-mail to any student, group of students, or the instructor of the course. There is also a discussion board and virtual classroom within Blackboard available for the students and teacher to use. The discussion board can be used to set up forums in which students working in collaborative groups can type questions or answers to all other students in the class or group. For example, the discussion board can be used as a bulletin board for students to type in questions they may have and answers to questions other students may have. The discussion board can also be used for on-line group projects, where each group of students would have its own chat room. The virtual classroom can be used to explain concepts to students using a chat room and may include an optional drawing feature. All of these teaching strategies and technological tools can be used to help students feel comfortable getting help from other students and the teacher.

Web Enhanced Courses

To encourage instructors to develop and students to enroll in on-line courses, Allegany College of Maryland uses an option for courses called "web-enhanced". An example of the structure of a web-enhanced course is to teach the course in a typical classroom setting until all the material for the first test has been taught (this would be all the instruction that students in traditional courses would receive for the first test). In a webenhanced course that uses Blackboard students that have not shown mastery level of the material for their first attempt on the first test are able to review supplemental material and attempt the test again until the desired level of Mastery Learning is attained. Therefore, students who have not mastered the objectives covered for the first test are still able to participate with the rest of the class learning the material for the second test.

Students in web-enhanced courses can also progress through objectives faster if they wish since the tests could be taken at anytime throughout the course. In fact, students that are highly motivated, yet placed in developmental mathematics, often successfully complete the coursework well before the scheduled end of the course. This affords the instructor a greater amount of time to focus attention on students struggling with material. Therefore, in web-enhanced courses, students use Blackboard for testing purposes and for supplemental learning resources to progress at their own pace, while still having scheduled class times to meet with the instructor and other students in the class.