The Linear Algebra course for general science students at Carleton University has a yearly enrollment of at least 700. In addition, there are many students from other degree programs and the community, with diverse mathematical background and study skills, for whom the course is mandatory.
In this presentation, the participants will dive into the principles of mastery learning, motivation and gamification, as applied in this blended, large class, first-year math course designed to be effective, efficient and appealing. The weekly online quizzes provide opportunity for rapid data collection and analysis, thus enabling early identification of students at the fringes. This allows the instructor to reach out and provide early personal intervention and encouragement to these students via one-to-one interviews, while extending continuous support and positive feedback to students who are racing ahead. The in-person tutorials allow TAs to give immediate feedback on students’ work on the spot. The Ask the Instructor online forum becomes a central, transparent place of inquiry and reference to all students, replacing the inefficient email response system.
The collected online course participation data will be analyzed to support/dispute assumptions that, when both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation is reinforced as the students engage in the mastery learning process, they procrastinate less, better solidify their knowledge and achieve course outcomes comparable to or better than the traditional live course.
Of Interest to: Online and distance education, Post-secondary education, K-12 educators, Instructional designers, Researchers, Educational technologists
