Spring Break
NVC developmental math program credits success to extra weekly lab hour
By J.A. Garcia
Issue date: 4/20/07 Section: Features
Originally published: 4/19/07 at 7:41 PM CSTLast update: 6/25/07 at 6:24 PM CST
With developmental math classes often times being the biggest road blocks for college students, frustrating them beyond belief, Northwest Vista College has made their developmental math program its No. 1 priority.
As a result, according to Cindi Bluhm, academic leader of the academic foundations program at Northwest Vista, they have a success rate of 70 percent of students passing their developmental math classes.
According to math coordinator Anna Harwin, the average time a student has to repeat a developmental math class at their college is 1.1 percent.
The program has received recognition from certain organizations and has shared its strategies and data with other schools, the district board of trustees and is working with the districtwide initiative Achieving the Dream.
What makes the program successful is the design of the program, the resources offered to students, and the attitude of the faculty.
Students in all levels of developmental math are required to attend a one-hour math lab each week.
They attend lab hours on their own time at the center for collaborative learning.
Observing the center on a personal tour given by Harwin and mathematics coordinator Wesley Anderson, the center is a very lively, interactive and comfortable place. Somewhat loud and near full capacity, some students were writing on the board giving each other group lessons, some chatted among themselves at the tables and others were getting attention from student tutors.
Harwin pointed out how much the department values their student tutors.
These tutors are students who have gone through the same program and remember what it is like, where as sometimes the faculty will forget, said Harwin.
The advocacy center is a much quieter place where students in need of extra attention can go.
The intention of the center is to help students who have missed class, and offer one on one tutoring to students who feel they are not doing well in class. The staff in the advocacy center also perform other counseling services such as drop counseling and advising.
As a result, according to Cindi Bluhm, academic leader of the academic foundations program at Northwest Vista, they have a success rate of 70 percent of students passing their developmental math classes.
According to math coordinator Anna Harwin, the average time a student has to repeat a developmental math class at their college is 1.1 percent.
The program has received recognition from certain organizations and has shared its strategies and data with other schools, the district board of trustees and is working with the districtwide initiative Achieving the Dream.
What makes the program successful is the design of the program, the resources offered to students, and the attitude of the faculty.
Students in all levels of developmental math are required to attend a one-hour math lab each week.
They attend lab hours on their own time at the center for collaborative learning.
Observing the center on a personal tour given by Harwin and mathematics coordinator Wesley Anderson, the center is a very lively, interactive and comfortable place. Somewhat loud and near full capacity, some students were writing on the board giving each other group lessons, some chatted among themselves at the tables and others were getting attention from student tutors.
Harwin pointed out how much the department values their student tutors.
These tutors are students who have gone through the same program and remember what it is like, where as sometimes the faculty will forget, said Harwin.
The advocacy center is a much quieter place where students in need of extra attention can go.
The intention of the center is to help students who have missed class, and offer one on one tutoring to students who feel they are not doing well in class. The staff in the advocacy center also perform other counseling services such as drop counseling and advising.
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