Jennifer Byall, a Math Instructor at Southeast Technical College in Sioux Falls, SD, uses technology to support assigning projects in her Mathematical Reasoning courses and providing wise feedback to students as they work towards content mastery. Students complete practical application lab assignments which use math skills to solve and analyze real-life situations. The labs are graded but students have the opportunity to revise and resubmit until a score of 100% is attained. The labs contain questions that allow students to demonstrate mastery of the math concepts as well as questions requiring students to show deeper analysis of the application and real world “use” of the math concepts.
Students are allowed to choose the labs they complete from a group set by the instructor. This way a variety of labs that would interest students in different programs and from different backgrounds can be offered. Well-designed application problems may be found in publisher materials or problem sets, with solutions, which helps to reduce grading time. After submitting their work, the “revise” conversation is between the instructor and student so the instructor can make sure all the supports a given student needs can be provided. This also allows any student accommodations to be met. The instructor can use language and suggestions which set the atmosphere as positive and encouraging in order to help students successfully complete the lab from where they are.
By completing the revision(s) students can show mastery of the mathematical concepts and analysis. This ensures all students are able to successfully complete the lab assignments, improving their understanding as they use instructor feedback to monitor their progress. Byall also finds viewing student work at various levels of completion to help her identify areas students are commonly struggling in, which supports instructional improvement.
Digital Resources
LMS, email or messaging capabilities
When a student score on a lab is less than 100%, Byall can attach a digital comment to the assignment stating what needs to be completed to receive full credit. Often the missing part of student work is the “why” explanation and analysis. The instructor comment includes specific instructions on next steps for the student to resubmit the completed lab to receive full credit. Any resources are also provided or linked to help the student, as well as an invitation to contact the instructor for any questions.
Byall finds that the feedback needed for the analysis questions that are not answered entirely is usually asking, “why do you (student) think the answer was what it was? What does the answer mean in the context of the problem?” Ideally, the lab assignments require students to place the number answer into the context of the problem, and see how that answer will be applied.
Digital Enablement
The LMS allows feedback to be made on a specific assignment and the feedback can be automatically emailed to the student. The student can reply to the email with corrections or questions instead of going back into the assignment, providing a quicker way for students to modify their work or ask additional questions given the feedback from the instructor. The communication is between the student and instructor directly so the students feel more comfortable asking questions when they do not understand, and the instructor can break the concepts down as much as needed for each individual student. In an online discussion available to the entire class, students sometimes do not want to ask questions “in front” of others; the digitally-enabled conversation provides a safer space for the student to get the support they need.
Using digital feedback via email and the LMS provides a great way to interact with students in a personal way and to celebrate their progress in connecting abstract concepts with real-life applications. When choosing problems to assign, the students in class should be considered so the applications fit their educational path or program. The feedback should also be considered so it is encouraging and specific, shining a light on student successes and guiding students towards mastery.