Reid Mowrer
Assistant Professor of Mathematics
UNM-Valencia

Finding Your Mathematical Voice

Student retention is a pervasive problem for the two-year college. In addition, many students who obtain a degree do not leave with their degree of first choice. The common link between these two issues is often mathematics. Mathematics, or the student’s perceived inability to learn it, is strongly linked to not only staying in school long enough to obtain a degree, but also to obtaining the desired degree. Anecdotal evidence supports the proposition that poor performance in mathematics correlates well (but inversely) with student retention and sub-optimal degree choices. The two-year college has a duty to address these issues as part of an effective strategic plan.

During the summer of 2001, the University of New Mexico – Valencia Campus embarked on an ambitious program to address this multifaceted issue. First, the lens through which the issue was to be viewed was decidedly unconventional - that the student does not have a math problem per se. This paradigm was validated from the evidence gathered at math anxiety workshops conducted at the Valencia Campus during the summer and fall 2001 semesters. While the students’ problems appeared to manifest in poor mathematics performance due to math anxiety, the workshops surprisingly revealed causation manifested in dual modality. While many students presented math anxiety in classic causation form, others presented decided issues related to effective learning that resulted in poor math performance, with or without concomitant anxiety.

In addition, students who attended the workshops presented an issue of “community” – a sense that they, perhaps as a result of poor math performance and degree/career issues, did not have a deep appreciation of and commitment to their academic endeavors. Clearly this problem could subvert any retention efforts that were undertaken. As a result, the Department of Mathematics and Statistics decided to address this issue in addition to the others mentioned above.

The above framework drove the design of a new class within the Department – Finding Your Mathematical Voice. The class is being piloted this spring semester 2002 with a multifaceted approach to address the issues described above. Elements of the class include:

· The use of various facilitators, rather than one “instructor,” to present the multitude of topics required to address as many of the relevant issues as possible. In this way, it is believed that students will obtain a better “sense” of not only the community that they are in, but also their role as an integral member of that community.

· A discussion format, so as to foster a collaborative environment and further reinforce the idea of “community” as it relates to retention.

· Classes addressing such topics as:

· Increasing awareness and understanding of math anxiety's causes and effects.

· Dealing effectively with math anxiety through a variety of behavioral modification and math-specific instructional techniques.

· Exploring the equity issues of mathematics

· Learning appropriate coping methods, i.e. relaxation and breathing techniques.

· Learning:

· study skills,

· time management skills,

· test-taking skills,

· math text reading skills

· journalling

· hot-penning.