Teaching Mathematics Online
As a first-time online math instructor, I am finding a few differences in strategy when delivering the course material. Having taught math for a number of years in the traditional classroom setting, I know from experience that, for students who struggle, there is much value in the physical presence of the instructor as he/she explains the processes involved in solving some of the more difficult problems. I am wondering if there are any distinct advantages in taking an online math course for a student who struggles in math. Any ideas?
John:
Not being an expert in the best approach to teach mathematical concepts,rules and principles, I defer your inquiry to other participants in this course.
These are my thoughts. There are some mathematical concepts, rules, and principles that can be effectively taught in an online environment. In addition to using the technology to deliver the tutorial, you can use the technology to deliver drill and practice exercises with appropriate feedback in a more efficient way than in a paper-based method. Moreover, in this environment, students will receive immediate feedback to their answers to the drill and practice exercise questions.
Online tutorials can also be built to expose students to different levels of difficulty as well as different levels of remedial learning. Given this, it is my opinion that we can provide students with adequate instruction for mathematical concepts, rules and priciples in an online environment. Yes, you can do the same thing in a classroom environment; however, in both environments, there is only so much you can do before you realize that certain students will probably never get it; no matter how many examples and remedial learnning you provide.
Satrohan
Hello. Based on the past year of teaching accounting both on campus and on line, I have made a couple observations & would like to offer them here from my perspective & then ask a question of you.
The element of teaching on line that drives my preference for sharing on line the mathematical equations involved in accounting is the requirement of me to be extremely orderly and detailed in my explanations. Whether I use Word or Excel, every comment (particularly in response to a student's homework assignment) is formatted step-by-step. This way, for a student who is not math saavy, they should be able to enter the data they are using into each of the same steps and find the correct solution. (I also tend to over explain because I will not be there in voice to clarify questions.) Incidentally, utilizing Excel also allows me to add to the learning process once I feel the student is ready.
My question is "Why do so many students find math so difficult?"
Thank you for posting this discussion.
Hi Juli! What a great coincidence! I have had the opportunity to teach both Accounting Principles (as well) and Developmental Math. Thanks for your observations regarding having a mathematical (formula) and sequential process online. Being able to enter data into a step-by-step process to affect a result or create a report is certainly very helpful to a "non-Math" student as long as the student understands from where the data came and how it is used. As you referenced, an orderly process is particularly important to the online environment. Great observations!
Why do many students find Math difficult? I have found that, in many cases, it's not that they can't do it, it's that they had a former bad experience with it and the effect just snowballed, or they never really got the basics down.
In Developmental Math, I used to equate the math process to a giant jigsaw puzzle with its own language (Accounting may be a bit like that too). We would start with the fundamentals and a lot of support, then proceed gradually. By the end of the course, students were cheering others on in completing quadratic equations on the board! We moved many students from hating Math to at least tolerating it.
As you mentioned, that support that you give online is so crucial to moving your students forward, and over-explaining, particularly when you may not get immediate feedback online, is not a bad thing. Bravo for your approach!
Jay Hollowell
EL102 Facilitator
Many studnets need to see tha mathematics unfold as an instructor does a problem. The idea of seeing the problem simplify or progress from step to step is very important along with insturctor comments along the way. One solution of rht eonline version is to use Camtasia to voice over some power points with the problems being explained in a step by step manner. Also, there are commercial products, such as My Math Lab, Hawkes Learning System, SLEKS, etc. which do the same thing.
As a math instructor I have found that teaching students how to read math correctly is the real key to solving the problem. This can easily be shown on-line since all on-line is basically reading. Once a student knows how to read math correctly they know exactly what math operations to do.
I am not sure what you mean by teaching students how to read math correctly. Can you explain a little more please?
Sure, an example of reading math correctly would be to apply the order of operations in math correctly. Example: 6 - 2 x 2 = 6 - 4=2;
not 4 x 2 = 8; which is the answer often derived. Another example: 3/4 means 3 divided by 4. It is not just a fraction but it also is to be read as a mathematical operation.
Thanks for the explanation Fred!
Juli
I will echo what Jay said in his comment. I used to teach an introduction to computers course. During that course I would spend 1 day teaching "computer math," base 2, base 8, base 16. The initial reaction was shock, but in a very short period of time the students understood how to work the problems that I posed.
During that time I also learned that many students were told early in school that they weren't smart enough to "get it" and unfortunately they believed the statements. Other students did not understand math the way that a specific teacher taught math. Others, as Jay said, never got the basics.
These students generally all shared math phobia because they were "taught" that they were not good at math, even though they were just as mentally capable as their peers.
Butch
This post got me thinking about math notation in an online class. I am a math teacher who has never taught an online class.
I don't know all the different presentation methods online, but are there difficulties with presenting different mathematical notation online? How about diagrams for geometry or graphs for algebra or statistics?
There are plenty of things that are easy enough to draw, but may not be easy to produce in a digital form for students (maybe if you have a stylus-based drawing program, I suppose). Anyway, my question would be to teachers who have taught math online, what do you do for things that are not easily typed/drawn?
Hi Chad, if you google math software applications you will find many applications that you can incorporate into your online course. Tina
I think a major factor is how accurately the instructor can anticipate what topics are going to cause problems for students and then address them before they become an issue. Anticipation takes knowledge of the course and student reactions gained from teaching the course previously either online or live and knowing where more time is going to be needed or extra examples provided. For a student struggling in math, I think this approach can be extremely helpful.
Order of operations is a great item to mention here! Students always have great difficulty with this and need constant reinforcement. In an online environment it is particularly tough to get across at times.
Martin,
Yes, this medium brings definite challenges to several disciplines.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Martin,
This is very useful insight and makes perfect sense. Thanks for sharing.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
I agree with Satrohan Mangal response. I provide instruction in economics in traditional and in online class rooms. Tutorials, problem base learning, online problem sets, are extremely useful. First, the student completes the work within their own personal schedules. Repetitive use of problems that increase the level of difficulty can expose students.
Second, I use online problems but I also them to work together on some problems but alone on others. Peer instruction is sometimes useful. Peers do identify the dependent learner and often make appropriate responses.
