Thursday, 2 September 2010

Not for Credit


I came across a report on a South Eastern Section meeting of the MAA in an old American Mathematical Monthly (Feb 1934) and noticed a session by Professor C. G. Phipps of the Univ of Florida entitled, "Subfreshman Mathematics." The abstract for the talk said,
"The University of Florida is trying out a new plan to handle the student who is very poorly prepared in mathematics. At the end of the second week of school a simple test on algebra and arithmetic is given to all freshman classes. Those who are unable to score a certian percentage are put into a no-credit course where they are taught the fundamentals they should have learned earlier."


Dave Renfro, who sent me the article wondered if this might be the first no-credit remedial course in college math.

"Anyone, Anyone, Bueller?"

Also, I read a few years back that over 25% of college freshmen were taking such a course (math for no-credit) across the nation. Does anyone have a good source for a valid number in recent years?
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3 comments:

  1. Jeffo2 September 2010 at 14:16

    At my university about 7 out of 50 regular math courses being taught this semester do not satisfy the university requirements for general education credit -- I guess that is what is meant by "no credit."

    I would characterize most of the students in those classes as "not ready for college," but I can certainly understand how hard it is for my university to turn down students who are willing to pay us to teach them something they could have learned for free in public school.

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  2. Anonymous2 September 2010 at 15:06

    http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/problem-solving/developmental-math
    "Of all community college students, 60 percent place into remedial education classes, which include developmental mathematics."

    https://www.noellevitz.com/.../ENABLEMATH_paper_0706indd.pdf
    Student Success in Developmental Math (EnableMath):
    "Nationwide, developmental mathematics courses typically comprise more than half of the mathematics courses offered at two-year colleges and 10-20 percent of the mathematics courses offered
    at four-year colleges. Seventy-five percent of new students enrolling in two-year colleges must take one or more developmental mathematics courses, and approximately half of them do not pass each course they attempt."

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  3. Pat's Blog2 September 2010 at 17:00

    Gas-station....

    Have you used the "enable math"? are you familiar with someone who has?

    Jeffo, are those classes pretty even in student numbers, that is, can I presume that about 35% of your university students taking math are taking a remedial course?

    Thanks guys for the input... I'm still searching for the first "no credit" course.

    ReplyDelete