Using Technology-Assisted Instruction and Assessment to Reduce the Effect of Class Size on Student Outcomes in Undergraduate Mathematics Courses

Abstract

The implementation of online texts, videos, homework, and tests has changed the process of instruction in introductory college mathematics courses. With this change, more of the students’ learning takes place outside of the traditional college classroom and in places such as tutoring centers and dorm rooms. A combination of chi-square tests—for independence with unordered categorical data—and Mann-Whitney two-sample rank-sum tests—for continuous data and ordered categorical data—were used to analyze student outcomes generated from College Algebra and Applied Calculus courses with class sizes ranging from 37 to 129, with common syllabi, homework, quizzes, and tests. These tests showed that medium classes (30–55 students) had little to no benefit over large classes (110–130 students) in student learning and student achievement, with large classes having small to medium positive-effect sizes over medium classes in the area of student satisfaction. The only area in which the small classes had a small positive effect was in the area of student engagement.

Keywords:

• class size
• classroom-teaching experiment
• computerized assessment systems
• introductory mathematics
• technology