This year, the Portland State Fariborz Maseeh Department of Mathematics and Statistics decided to implement placement tests for several of its courses.
In the past, prerequisites for introductory math and statistics courses were not enforced. Beginning winter term 2012, students will need to satisfy prerequisite requirements in order to register for select lower-division courses in the department.
This year, the Portland State Fariborz Maseeh Department of Mathematics and Statistics decided to implement placement tests for several of its courses.
In the past, prerequisites for introductory math and statistics courses were not enforced. Beginning winter term 2012, students will need to satisfy prerequisite requirements in order to register for select lower-division courses in the department.
High dropout, withdrawal and failure rates fueled the changes in the department. In 2008, the failure rate for Math 251 (Calculus I) reached 55 percent.
The placement test will become available Oct. 3. Students will be able to take the test using the new Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS) system.
“We have nine courses that we are enforcing prerequisites for,” said Austina Fong, a calculus instructor at PSU. The following classes will be affected by the change: Math 95, Math 111, Math 105, Math 112, Math 211, Math 251, Math 261, Statistics 105 and Statistics 243.
Fong stressed that in order for the placement tests to be fully successful, it is important for students to take the test as soon as possible.
The new testing system uses a series of algorithms in order to “cater” the test to students as they take it. Students who take the placement exam can experience vastly different test questions, depending on their progression through the exam. This allows one standard exam to determine the best placement for students, rather than requiring students to take an exam for each course they’re considering.
If students are not placed in the desired course, ALEKS will offer learning modules designed to enable students to refresh particular mathematics skillsets and improve their scores. The learning modules will be available for up to six months after completing the test, but once the modules are activated the practice tests and lessons included in them will be available for only six weeks.
Similar placement tests have been considered in other departments. Currently, the chemistry department is considering implementing the ALEKS system next year.
“We have explored using ALEKS for chemistry placement, but expect to collect more data this year before we decide to enforce placement,” said Gwen Shusterman, associate professor of chemistry at PSU. “Our sampling from last year shows a strong correlation between scores on the ALEKS chemistry tool and success in Chemistry 221.”
The purpose of the placement test is to benefit students. “We want to increase student success rates,” Fong said.
Information Fong obtained during her Master’s thesis assisted in the creation of the placement tests.
During her dissertation, Fong created a placement test and distributed them to spring term calculus students in 2008. The results were surprising. “We found the need for placement [tests],” Fong said. “We found that even if students had something that told them that they shouldn’t take the class, they took the class anyways and they didn’t succeed.”
In addition to granting access to the ALEKS modules, more math tutors will be available through the PSU Learning Center. Math tutors can answer questions pertaining to the subject itself as well as answer questions about the ALEKS technology.
The expectation for enforcing the placement tests and prerequisites is to not only create more successful students, but to also create better courses.
Transfer students will not be affected by the placement tests if they have taken a math course within one year. If a student transfers to PSU with Math 111 credits obtained within one year, they can immediately enroll in Math 112.
The math department wants students to know that they aren’t trying to discourage students from taking upper-level mathematics classes.
“We’re not trying to keep students out of courses; we’re trying to help them to succeed,” Fong said.
