Developmental Mathematics: Students’ Predicted Outcome Value of Electronic Communication

This study investigated the predicted outcome value of electronic communication from the viewpoint of developmental mathematics students. Students at a large Texas community college completed a combination of instruments that were administered in three prior studies. Three reasons for using electronic communication that were included in this study were procedural/clarification, personal/social, and efficiency. Results indicated that (a) student-initiated electronic communications conversations were correlated with students’ predicted outcome value of electronic communications; (b) instructor immediacy behaviors via electronic measures was correlated with students’ reasons for electronic communication; (c) instructor immediacy of electronic communication and the reasons for communicating explained 34.3% of the variance in students’ predicted outcome value of electronic communication; (d) procedural/clarification reasons was the largest predictor of predicted outcome value; and (e) the β weight and structure coefficient suggested that personal/social reasons was a possible suppressor. Keywords: developmental mathematics, electronic communication, predicted outcome value, regression, suppressor variable

Merging Theory and Practice in Statistics in Communities of Mathematical Inquiry

This workshop will engage participants in statistical problem solving with reallife data, using technology. Participants will work in a Community of Inquiry, (CoI, Garrison, 2016) with other participants to formulate questions that will be answered in their community. The participants will engage in problem solving using 2018 data about world populations, to determine how best to answer their questions and how their answers may become part of a larger exploration. The facilitators will share examples from their work with developmental mathematics students and mathematics teacher candidates regarding how they use the CoI model to merge theory and practice in the areas of: teaching & learning, educational technology, curriculum development, teachers’ preparation and development, and issues of equity. Participants will need access to a computer or tablet with web access and spreadsheet software.