Operation 4-Sight
(- Homer Simpson, singing, upon finding out he's been admitted to college)
Operation Foresight proposed to take the Mathematics Learning
Centre's program and bring it back to the students at the high
school level, thereby allowing them an opportunity to improve
essential mathematics skills before entering university. Success in
the pilot project meant students could enrol in their mathematics
courses immediately upon entering Memorial. Students met every
Tuesday night from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at O'Donel High School,
Mount Pearl. The project ran from February 2001 to May 2002.
Methodology
Self-instructional with tutorial assistance. This course was an
academic bridging program in which the student filled in the gaps
in his/her mathematical knowledge. Each student was assigned a
personal program and a minimum amount of work was required to be
mastered.
General Aims of the Course
The course provided students with the basic
arithmetic and algebraic skills necessary for everyday life, and
provided the mathematical preparation needed for successful
achievement in further courses in post-secondary mathematics.
Topics covered in the program included: operations involving whole
numbers; fractions, decimals, percents; integers; exponents; linear
equations; algebraic and fractional expressions; formulas; graphs;
systems of linear equations; radicals; quadratics; logarithms and
basic trigonometry.
Attendance
Attendance was compulsory, and, if your attendance in the programme dropped below 80%, you were terminated from the programme.
Individualized Programmes
Programs were designed for each participant, based
on the results of diagnostic tests which were written at the
commencement of the course. Thus the content of individual programs
varied.
Tutorial Assistance
Because everyone worked on an individualized
program, no lectures were given. However, tutorial assistance was
available, on a one-to-one basis, throughout the course.
MLC Programme
The Mathematics Learning Centre Programme is NOT
self-paced. The textbooks we use are written in a "self-study"
style so that students can learn much of the content on their own.
But the classroom experience is essential for the student to put
the mathematics in context so that s/he knows how to use the
mathematics effectively and meaningfully.
Evaluation
Learning is a process which cannot be adequately
evaluated by tests alone. To obtain a mastery of the MLC programme,
a student must satisfactorily complete assignments, in-class
activities, as well as, module tests. This can only be achieved
through regular attendance at classroom sessions.
Our Philosophy of Learning Mathematics
Mathematics is a subject which builds upon itself,
not unlike a house. If you are building a house, the first thing
you put in is a foundation, then you put up the walls, and finally
you put on the roof. In a similar fashion, when you are learning
mathematics, first you learn some addition facts, and then you use
that knowledge to learn how to multiply, and then you use your
knowledge of multiplication to learn about division. All of
mathematics is like that, so if someone misses something early on
in their schooling because they are sick, or move, or whatever,
then it makes it very difficult for them to learn any mathematics
which comes after that uses the knowledge they don’t have.
That is the primary reason that many people don’t do well in
mathematics.
To avoid this happening in our programme, we use the MASTERY
concept of learning. This means you do not go on to study higher
levels of mathematics until you have demonstrated a good, solid
knowledge of every bit of mathematics required to do the next
level. The required standards for mastery in our programme are
given in the self-tests included in the Student Manuals.
Learning to do mathematics is not unlike learning how to dance, or
play the piano, or golf, or play hockey or basketball. To be good
at any of these activities, one must spend hours in repetitious
practice of laws of exponents or pirouettes or scales, or a golf
swing or skating backwards or dribbling. You can participate
recreationally without this level of commitment to the activity but
universities aren’t about a "recreational" involvement with
learning.
A familiarity with mathematics is nice. Understanding mathematical
concepts is fine. But to participate in post-secondary courses
involving mathematics, there is an expectation that the student can
DO mathematics. This does not come with mere familiarity and/or
understanding; this comes with hours of practice, much of which is
repetitive.
Mathematics is meant to be useful. Answers which are 70% correct
are not useful. Therefore we demand answers which are 100%
correct.
Our learning materials place an emphasis on building essential
mathematics skills and fostering independent study habits. The
learning and exercise sequence will ensure that new terms, concepts
and processes are well understood before they are used in solving
more complex problems. Explanations are given which relate new
concepts and skills to what you already know, and fundamental
skills are used to solve relevant practical problems.
All things considered, you will have an excellent opportunity to
enhance your knowledge of mathematics.
The best part about being a member of Great Big Sea is the
opportunity to perform traditional music around the world,
the worst part is the tedium of getting there.
|
- Quote from Bob Hallett of Great Big Sea on the band being named "Memorial University’s Alumni of the Year for 1999", taken from Luminus Magazine, Vol. 25, No. 1, Fall 1999, Memorial University of Newfoundland Alumni Association. |
