MyMath Lab homework positively impacts student success
Pearson | August 20, 2021 in Meaningful Outcomes
by Pearson
How MyLab Math contributes to student success
Between Fall 2016 and Spring 2017, Professor Kathy Nabours at Riverside City College partnered with Pearson to investigate whether MyLab™ Math for Intermediate Algebra by Martin-Gay positively impacted student success.
Researchers found that:
- Students earning higher MyLab homework scores had better exam and course scores.
- Students scoring at least 80% on MyLab homework earned an average of 11 percentage points higher on exams, final exams, and course scores.
- The final course pass rate for students earning at least 80% on MyLab homework was 27 percentage points higher than for students earning less than 80% on homework.
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Why did Professor Kathy Nabours utilize MyLab Math?
In response to the traditionally low success rates at community colleges, Riverside City College decided to pilot their New Science of Learning Project which included restructuring their course objectives and utilizing MyLab Math. The college also decided to incorporate the book directly into their Intermediate Algebra course with hopes that they could improve learning and student outcomes in the course by teaching the students to recognize how their brains learn and, in particular, the value of doing homework.
How was MyLab Math implemented?
Intermediate Algebra is a five-credit course, designed to prepare students for the study of higher-level mathematics. All sections of the course in the project use a common syllabus, materials, exams, major worksheets, and final exam, as well as common rubrics for grading exam problems. Outsides of MyLab Math homework, assessments include exams and a final exam.
Common homework assignments are created in MyLab Math using a coordinator course. The MyLab account allows students to access homework assignments, the Study Plan, lecture videos, and other resources for the course. The 50 homework assignments consist of 25–30 problems per lesson which are due daily. MyLab Math homework accounts for 10% of the total course grade.
Were students successful?
Data from the Fall 2016 and Spring 2017 cohorts show an increase in their success rates in a variety of ways:
- Assessment and overall course scores improved as homework scores increase.
- Students who earned at least 80% on homework scored 12 percentage points higher on exams, 11 percentage points higher on the final exam, and 11 percentage points higher overall for the course.
- The final course pass rate for students earning at least 80% on MyLab homework was 27 percentage points higher than for students earning less than 80% on homework.
Conclusion
Kathy Nabours and the faculty at Riverside City College felt that student outcomes would be positively affected if they restructured their course objectives into chunks, created daily distributed homework assignments, and helped students more clearly understand how their brains processed information while learning. Data show that students who earn at least 80% on homework assignments earned higher scores on other assessments and had better final course scores. Nabours continues to evaluate the results of the project and incorporate strategies to lead students towards success in their math courses.
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