New Math Courses Help Fill Gaps in Schedule
MADISON, Wis. – (Sept. 21) – With UW campus add/drop deadlines approaching, students struggling to complete their course schedule will be relieved to know there’s a solution. UW Independent Learning, a unit of University of Wisconsin-Extension, offers 125 self-paced courses, many of which can fulfill campus general education requirements. On the eve of its 120-year anniversary of helping students reach their educational goals, the Independent Learning team is relaunching its popular College Algebra and Elementary Statistics courses online using ALEKS, an artificial intelligence tool, making these much-needed prerequisites available 24/7 via the Internet.
“Staying on schedule is important to students,” said David Schejbal, University of Wisconsin-Extension dean. “Students who can’t get into a College Algebra class on campus because it’s filled or students who have anxiety about math will find this self-paced learning opportunity a great solution.”
Technology Has Dramatically Changed UW Independent Learning’s Math Education
Math courses have changed dramatically since UW Independent Learning first began in 1892, when a Wisconsin farmer enrolled in a correspondence course and finished assignments by the light of a kerosene lantern. That student went on to become a marketing professor at Columbia University. Today, students enrolled in College Algebra and Elementary Statistics will use ALEKS, an artificial intelligence and assessment system. Kurt Vanderhoef, an associate lecturer at UW-Waukesha, adapted the new math courses using ALEKS. The artificial intelligence tool assesses each student’s knowledge, directs them to material that is appropriate for them, and then provides immediate feedback and complete explanations for each math problem.
Vanderhoef monitors student progress, provides additional study notes, and interacts with students via e-mail and online office hours. Students have three months to a full year to complete their coursework. The courses roll out this week.
“Staying on schedule and on budget is important,” said Schejbal. “Independent Learning allows students to do just that.”
Independent Learning courses range from 1 to 4 credits. The Independent Learning course catalog includes dozens of courses in English and Humanities, Foreign Languages and Social Science taught through the campuses of the University of Wisconsin and available for transfer credit with the approval of students’ home campuses. More than 1,000 students took advantage of this option in 2010 and represented all UW campuses.
For more information please visit http://il.wisconsin.edu.
