Use Longitudinal Data and Moving Average to Illustrate Effectiveness of Supplemental Instruction

ABSTRACT

Texas A&M University-Commerce has implemented supplemental instruction (SI) for Calculus since the fall of 2013. A direct display of the ABC rates from fall 2005 to spring 2021 only presents fluctuation from semester to semester, and one can hardly deduce that the ABC rates are increasing. In this paper, the “moving average” technique is used to reveal the effectiveness of SI in improving the percentage of students earning a grade of A, B, or C (ABC rates) in Calculus. Our longitudinal data under the “moving average” also shows that the SI implementation increased the ABC rates of major ethnic groups.

KEYWORDS:

• Supplemental instruction
• moving average
• calculus
• retention
• grade distribution

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors greatly appreciate helpful feedback and comments from the reviewers and associate editor. Tingxiu Wang is grateful for the buyout time provided by the Office of Sponsored Programs at Texas A&M University-Commerce for writing a grant proposal that has resulted in this paper. The authors also appreciate the patient help in generating the data for the grant proposal from Dr. Dan Su, Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness & Research, and Mr. Jeremy Anderson, Assistant Director of Institutional Research Institutional Effectiveness Research at Texas A&M University-Commerce. They thank Dr. Brian Winkel and Dr. Sönmez Şahutoğlu for their helpful comments and suggestions.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

The data supporting this study's findings are available from the authors upon reasonable request.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

A. Tingxiu Wang

A. Tingxiu Wang, a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, has taught fulltime at Oakton Community College for 17 years, at Missouri Western State University for four years, and currently at Texas A&M University-Commerce (TAMUC) since 2012. In addition to research in differential equations, his relevant experience includes supporting and/or implementing high impact and evidence-based practices, such as adaptive learning technology, supplemental instruction, project-based learning, teaching with modeling, REU, flipped classrooms, math pathways, co-requisite models and bridge programs. He has received two NSF STEP grants and one S-STEM grant as PI; and two NSF CCLI grants as Co-PI. In addition, he has served on NSF review panels for six times and ad-hoc reviews for two times. He has served as undergraduate and graduate advisors; directed student researchers; published more than 30 peer-reviewed journal papers on teaching and differential equations. He received a faculty senate award, outstanding department head in 2016; Excellence in Teaching Award, Sigma Alpha Pi, the National Society of Leadership and Success, in 2016; Outstanding Faculty Member Award of the Illinois Community College Trustee Association in 1998; NISOD in 1998; and the Ray Hartstein Outstanding Teaching Award at Oakton Community College in 1997.

B. Mehmet Çelik

B. Dr. Mehmet Çelik is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at Texas A&M University-Commerce. Besides collaborating with undergraduate researchers and mathematicians in mathematics research, Dr. Çelik also collaborates in mathematics education research. He is interested in exploring and experimenting with mathematics teaching methodologies in Calculus and upper-level mathematics classes.

C. Pamela Webster

C. Pamela Webster holds an Ed.D. in Secondary and Higher Education, specializing in Curriculum and Instruction from Texas A&M University – Commerce (TAMUC). In addition, she has taught fulltime at since 1999; before that, she has several years of adjunct teaching experience at various universities and community colleges, and two years of fulltime teaching at Greenville High School. Research areas include developmental mathematics, first year math, and math education; between these areas, Dr. Webster (as PI and author) has been awarded over one million dollars of grant money to be used in service to these areas of study. She has served as the Director of the Math Skills Center since 2000, and money from the Comprehensive Student Success Program grant established the university's Academic Testing Center, over which she serves as director. In 2018, she spear-headed TAMUC's move into co-requisite models in the math courses, and she has helped create two new math courses in the first year math program to help support the liberal arts math program. She has been nominated and received multiple awards, both student- and faculty-voted, and most recently was inducted into the Chancellor's Academy of Teacher Educators in 2018.