Student success using MyLab Math
Pearson Results Team | May 21, 2021 in Meaningful Outcomes
In fall 2015, Pearson worked with Yolanda Manzano, Professor of Mathematics at Richland College in Dallas, TX to investigate whether the use of MyLab Math helped students succeed.
Researchers found that:
- Data for this course show a very strong positive correlation between average test scores and students’ MyLab Math homework averages and a strong positive correlation between students’ homework averages and final exam scores.
- Data indicate that students who earned higher MyLab Math homework averages and study plan scores, showing mastery of course material by earning an overall A/B/C course grade, had average MyLab Math homework scores 49 percent higher and average study plan scores 72 percent higher than students who earned a D/F in the course.
- The instructor feels that MyLab Math’s quality, instantaneous feedback is its greatest advantage for student learning.
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Why did Professor Yolanda Manzano adopt MyLab Math?
By adopting MyLab Math for her College Algebra course, Yolanda Manzano hoped to provide students with a resource that would:
- Allow them to know their grades at all times;
- Provide assistance finding errors in problems while working them, thus promoting “productive struggle;”
- Provide access to a variety of help aids that are tailored to different learning styles; and
- Help students become more motivated to complete mathematics because of the software’s clear content support in a non-threatening, user-friendly manner.
How was MyLab Math used in her course?
At the beginning of the semester, students are given a course calendar with their syllabus that details all MyLab Math assignments. Students complete these assignments in MyLab Math outside of class.
Each class day in the calendar has a MyLab Math assignment listed. There are three types of MyLab Math assignments that students complete: Homework, Exam Review, Media Assignments.
MyLab Math assignments are worth a combined 25% of the final course grade.
Did MyLab Math improve student success?
- Data for this course show a very strong positive correlation between average test scores and students’ MyLab Math homework averages and a strong positive correlation between students’ homework averages and final exam scores.
- Data indicate that students who earned higher MyLab Math homework averages and study plan scores, showing mastery of course material by earning an overall A/B/C course grade, had average MyLab Math homework scores 49 percent higher and average study plan scores 72 percent higher than students who earned a D/F in the course.
Did the students like using MyLab Math?
Some comments made by students about MyLab Math when asked, “How has MyLab Math impacted your learning in this class?” were:
“MyLab Math has impacted my problem-solving ability and the ability to think outside the box to find the answers.”
“It made it much easier, by allowing me to learn on my own and figure out where I made mistakes!”
Conclusion
By adopting MyLab Math for her College Algebra course, Manzano hoped to provide students with a resource that would allow them to know their grades at all times, have help finding errors in problems while working them, and provide access to a variety of help aids that are tailored to different learning
styles. Manzano is pleased with the results thus far and feels that the students’ responses to the survey, especially, reflect that MyLab Math is doing what she’d hoped it would.
She says, “The largest advantage of MyLab Math is that it provides quality feedback to students instantaneously. I appreciate that the students feel they are getting so much help from the program.”
Read the full findings here
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