Redesigning Mathematics: Increasing Student Success at a Reduced Cost

From working with large numbers of students, faculty and institutions since 1999, NCAT has learned what works and what does not work in improving student achievement in both developmental and college-level mathematics. The pedagogical techniques leading to greater student success are equally applicable to both developmental and college-level mathematics. The underlying principle is simple: Students learn math by doing math, not by listening to someone talk about doing math. Interactive computer software combined with personalized, on-demand assistance and mandatory student participation are the key elements of success. NCAT calls this model for success, the Emporium Model, named after what the model’s originator, Virginia Tech, called its initial course redesign.

Outcomes

Planning Resources

A “how-to” guide designed for those who want to improve learning and reduce costs in a math course and use NCAT’s Emporium Model to do it. This guide describes how to redesign a single math course at both the developmental and college levels.

A “how-to” guide designed for those who want to improve learning and reduce costs in a developmental math program and use NCAT’s Emporium Model to do it. This guide describes how to redesign the entire developmental math sequence (typically offered at community colleges) rather than a single course.