This report illustrates how rethinking our present model--by redesigning for integrated assessment and student-focused learning and by requiring the use of MyMathLab or MathXL--can successfully reshape how math is taught and learned. In the words of Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, "We must act now and continue the national dialogue and work together to find the right solutions." MyMathLab is one such solution.
Making the Grade, Version 3 (Summer 2008) (Adobe® Acrobat Reader® required)
Download Version 2 of this report from 2007
Download Version 1 of this report from 2005
The report illustrates the consistently positive impact that MyMathLab (MML) and MathXL (MXL) have on the quality of learning and cost reduction in higher education math instruction. It examines how MML and MXL can be successfully implemented in any environment--lab-based, hybrid, distance learning, traditional--and demonstrates the quantifiable difference that integrated usage of these products has on student retention, subsequent success, and overall achievement.
Instructors who integrated and required the use of MML or MXL experience higher retention rates, higher pass rates, and/or higher subsequent success rates. These are changes that matter--specifically for students in remedial and prerequisite math courses. These changes ensure that those students who previously constituted the largest percentage of drop/fail/withdrawals not only stay in school but graduate having mastered concepts that mean they, too, have a shot at personal and economic success in a knowledge economy. The most recent studies from institutions using MML and MXL reveal that the greatest benefit--both statistically and in terms of student satisfaction--emerges with regular, integrated use of the program.
The most dramatic change seen at Hillsborough Community College (FL) is the increase in the percentage of "A" letter grades received by students using MathXL versus those not using MathXL: an increase of nearly 15 percent.
Student Data Before and After MathXL Implementation:
| Semester | Without MathXL | With MathXL | % Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Final Grade | 72.5% | 78.1% | 5.6% |
| Average Test Score | 75.3% | 78.1% | 2.8% |
| Average Homework Score | 79% | 84.5% | 5.5% |
| Students Who Earned an A | 22.9% | 37% | 14.1% |
| Students Who Earned an A, B, or C | 72.4% | 78.3% | 5.9% |
At Mesa Community College (AZ), the data collected suggests that requiring MathXL and weighing its use as a significant percentage of the final grade contributes to both increased student success (a grade of A, B, or C) and increased retention.
Fall 2007 College Mathematics Success Rates with and without MathXL:
| Grade | Without MathXL | With MathXL | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students Who Earned an A, B, or C | 66% | 72% | + 6% |
| Withdrawals | 29% | 16% | - 13% |
Colleges around the country report dramatic increases in student success after adding MathXL or MML to their classes.
