Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

12-2005

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Major

Education

Major Professor

Mary Jane Connelly

Committee Members

Donald J. Dessart, Lloyd D. Davis, Vena M. Long

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of incorporating computerized instruction into developmental mathematics courses. The study examined achievement, retention, persistence, and success of students who began in Elementary Algebra, progressed into Intermediate Algebra and subsequently obtained their goal of completing an initial college-level mathematics course. The college-level courses consist of College Algebra, Introductory Statistics, or Contemporary Mathematics.

Two groups of elementary algebra students from Chattanooga State Technical Community College were used in this study. One group was taught using a lecture based approach and one group was taught using a computerized instructional approach. The lecture group consisted of 175 students where the computer group consisted of 208 students.

Achievement was studied using elementary algebra final exam grades and overall course grades from students who were enrolled in elementary algebra during the fall 2002 semester. Retention was studied using students who began in the fall 2002 semester in elementary algebra, tracking them, to see if they enrolled in a mathematics course during the spring 2003 semester. Persistence was studied using students who began elementary algebra in the fall 2002 semester, enrolled in a mathematics course during the spring 2003 semester and persisted with their mathematics by registering for a mathematics course in the summer 2003 semester or the fall 2003 semester. Student success was studied using students who began in the elementary algebra course in the fall 2002 semester and successfully completed a college mathematics course by the fall 2003 semester. Success was determined by the number of students who made a letter grade of an A, B or C in any college level mathematics course.

When examining achievement, retention, persistence and success, the only area in this study that showed a significant difference was among the achievement rates. The lecture students’ achievement rates were significantly higher than the students who received computerized instruction. Retention, persistence and success did not show any significant difference between the two groups.

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