Course Structure

Fike’s goal was to stick as close as possible to the LSU College Readiness Program model, while following the Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum (LCC) content and calendar. Unit 1 was primarily done on paper, but the rest of the units were completed using MyMathLab. Fike chose homework assignments from the program that corresponded with the LCC for those units and used the program’s lesson resources to both introduce new material and as a warm-up to each class period. Students were required to complete the Whole Class Discussion problems in class and to work the corresponding homework assignments using MyMathLab.

Teacher experience

“Teaching with MyMathLab made teaching fun again,” says Fike. “It enabled me to return to the kind of daily, one-on-one interaction with my students that I really enjoy. Most important, I’ve seen a tremendous improvement in my students.”

MyMathLab met the full range of Fike’s students’ needs. “Students could access the program at home whether they needed remediation or if they simply wanted more practice,” she says. “And some did just that. I know they wouldn’t have sought more work from a textbook.”

Student Experience

MyMathLab facilitates many of today’s proven best practices. Via interactive features including immediate feedback, multimedia assessments, and personalized learning, Fike’s students gained learning experience that means something both in the classroom and beyond it.

• Increased time on task. “Learning math is about repetition,” says Fike. “Watching someone work a problem doesn’t help. MyMathLab provides students with individually tailored problems to work on their own, which increases their chances of doing them right come test time.”
• Content relevance. “MyMathLab presents content that reflects the importance of math in their day-to-day lives,” says Fike. “It reinforces that learning is beneficial to their futures.”
• Strengthened teacher/student connection. “My students knew that both the program and I were there for them,” says Fike. “They were on board with what we were there to do each class period—no more moans and groans!”
• Enhanced student self-confidence. “Students were excited to see that green check mark,” says Fike. “Some previously had so little success that this indication of their ability empowered them. They developed a more positive attitude about math, gained confidence in themselves, and were less likely to give up.”

Student Gains

Fike was concerned about the EOC tests. “I wondered if my students were prepared enough,” she says. “But when I saw the results, I was really pleased: 74 percent of them passed on their first try—a huge improvement over last year’s pass rate of 45 percent.”

“In addition, the discipline of the students in my MyMathLab class was a lot better than that of my students who didn’t use the program,” says Fike. “I attribute it to the program’s ability to keep students focused.”