Proposal

Narrative

Improve SAM Lab capability for structured learning (tutoring) and reviews. Support and improve interactive remote tutoring through the MLC in the evenings when the labs are closed. Some of the IFP courses in mathematics have an opportunity to improve graduation rates and progress rate metrics. There are four things that can be done: • Ensure that students are placed in the proper course • Provide help for students before they are having trouble • Provide remediation for students who need additional help before they are able to be successful in a required course • Monitor with advising if students are taking advantage of the services offered and refer those who are not doing so to advising for additional counseling What have we been doing to contribute to student success? Usage of the MLC has continued to grow: • Fall 2013: 7,323 visits (6,608 students enrolled) • Spring 2014: 7,200 MLC visits (5,602 students enrolled) • Fall 2014: 7,478 MLC visits (5,942 students enrolled) • Spring 2015: 8,191 MLC visits (5,805 students enrolled) • Fall 2015: 10,030 MLC visits • Spring 2016: 10,014 MLC visits • Fall 2016: 10,443 MLC visits as of 11/30/16 We have attained the highest level of certification from the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA), and continued training of our GTA’s and UG Tutors is required (and beneficial for the services we offer). We also instruct our GTAs and UG Tutors in pedagogy for assisting students (e.g. active learning and critical thinking skills development) and this has had a positive impact. Trained tutors increase the ability of students to improve student success. Students need to understand and not memorize. Other programs in the MLC which expand our opportunity to help our students are the use of the SAM (Succeed at Methods) lab and the use of remote tutoring. In order to continue and expand our remote tutoring efforts, we need to • Have capability to hold remote tutoring review sessions and to record helpful math hints videos in the MLC after hours. These would be posted to the MLC webpage for student viewing. • Renew our Adobe Connect licenses (our current remote tutoring platform) for another year. The MLC has supported remote tutoring for 15 courses with 2,046 live visits and provided 36 recorded reviews with 8,033 hits on recordings since Spring 2014 (including through November 1, 2016). For Spring 2017, the load has increased and, as many of our students are not traditional (have long commutes, work full time, etc.), and more courses are being offered online, we must continue to support these students’ needs for remote math tutoring in the evenings and weekends when the MLC is closed. We recently expanded into what used to be the front reception area of the CTL as we are out of space in the MLC. We have extended the MLC hours to include Sunday tutoring and extended the SAM Lab hours to match the MLC hours (except on Sundays). We are out of space and need to grow our remote tutoring program. To address the DFW rate in MAC2233 (one of the highest DFWs in the past), we started the SAM (Succeed At Methods) Lab: • Instituted in the MLC in Spring 2014. The basic approach was to isolate a location solely for the support of this course (it is the largest undergraduate math course at FAU) and encourage active learning and critical thinking skills. The results are notable: o Spring 2014: 429 visits and DFW (students with 4+ visits) 17% o Fall 2014: 1,230 visits and DFW (students with 4+ visits) 25% o Spring 2015: 843 visits and DFW (students with 4+ visits) 20% o Spring 2016: 2,481 visits and DFW (students with 4+ visits) 23% o Fall 2016: 2,853 visits through 11/30/16 • Combined DFW rates for all sections are 41%, 46%, 38%, 34% respectively. We currently have some rolling white boards in the SAM Lab and could offer much improved support to students by installing SMART boards on the empty wall space. Tutors can write on boards and students can save images to their phones with QR code. To address other high DFW courses (MAC1105 and MAC2311), we wish to expand the remote tutoring program. The MLC has assumed responsibility for all mathematics tutoring in the CTL. This has generated substantial growth in the services we offer; specifically in support offered to Access students, student athletes, and other identified high-risk students. In order to accommodate more students, we reorganized our one on one tutoring to small group (max 3 students) tutoring. It is clear that the dramatic increase in use of the facilities has had a positive impact on student outcomes and an increasing demand on our facilities. Our requests will buy us some time via technology to continue to offer our services in the limited space we have. To summarize, our focus is to try to ensure students can • Succeed in their math course • Improve progress toward a degree • Focus on high DFW courses which are often stumbling points for students

Facilities

The MLC in GS as part of the CTL is our main physical facility. The SAM Lab in GS207 is on the same floor. Remote tutoring preparation and recording sessions can be done in the MLC and/or SAM Lab.

Hardware Requirements

1. Modernize SAM Lab/improve student engagement a. 4 SMART kapp 84” whiteboards – $6,312.00 b. Electrical outlets Workx estimated price – $1,966.50 2. Support remote interactive tutoring a. 3 Surface Pro4 -- $5,397.00 b. Adobe Connect licenses -- $2,698.00 c. iMac -- $2,299.00 d. Color printer/scanner -- $199.99 Total Quote: $18,872.49

Software Requirements

n/a

Personnel Costs

n/a

Other Costs

n/a

Timeline

Planning with the relevant organizations should begin as soon as funded.

Sustainability

Continued funding of resources by Undergraduate Studies and the Department of Mathematics.

Resource Matching

Tutoring support is funded by the Department of Mathematics for the GTAs and by Undergraduate Studies and Performance funding for the UG Tutors and LAs.

Implementing Organization

MLC