Study of a HyFlex mathematics course at Delaware Technical Community College
Date
2021
Authors
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
The problem that this Education Leadership Portfolio (ELP) focused on is the high failure/withdrawal rates of online mathematics courses at Delaware Technical Community College (DTCC), caused in part by the limited flexibility of current course modalities. Therefore, the goal was to increase course pass rates while still providing students flexibility. The various course modalities offered at colleges are one important aspect of ensuring flexible courses for students who balance multiple responsibilities outside of education. ☐ To achieve the improvement goal, strategies included the design and piloting of a HyFlex mathematics course and a study of the pilot semester. In the HyFlex modality, students choose class period by class period how to attend, and the course is designed based on four pillars (Beatty, 2019): learner choice, equivalency, reusability, and accessibility. The study of the HyFlex pilot analyzed (a) the ways in which students experienced the HyFlex pillars, and (b) how and in what ways this course modality supported student success. ☐ I found that the course incorporated the pillars of HyFlex in many ways. I also found students were as successful in the HyFlex section compared to non-HyFlex sections in terms of pass rates and unit test scores and were more successful on the final exam. Preliminary evidence shows that Black and White students performed equally well on unit tests in the pilot section. Based upon these results, this ELP recommends that educators consider how to scale this modality, as it shows promise for distance education. This includes training for faculty and inclusion of other aspects of mathematics reform.
Description
Keywords
HyFlex, Mathematics, Online