Posted on 10/07/2023 3:40:59 AM PDT by george76
After a year of remote algebra, Diego Fonseca struggled with advanced algebra. Despite a week at George Mason University's Math Boot Camp, the would-be computer science major failed the math placement test to qualify for calculus four times. He didn't know the basics.
Across the country, more students are placing into pre-college math, reports AP's Collin Binkley. "At many universities, engineering and biology majors are struggling to grasp fractions and exponents."
At George Mason in Northern Virginia, fewer would-be STEM majors are getting into calculus and more are failing, he writes.
“We’re talking about college-level pre-calculus and calculus classes, and students cannot even add one-half and one-third,” said Maria Emelianenko, chair of George Mason’s math department.
At Temple, the number of students placed into intermediate algebra, the equivalent of ninth-grade math, has nearly doubled, writes Binkley. It's the lowest option for STEM majors.
In a softball quiz at the start of last year's fall semester, students were asked to subtract eight from negative six, recalls Jessica Babcock. “I graded a whole bunch of papers in a row. No two papers had the same answer, and none of them were correct.”
“It’s not just that they’re unprepared, they’re almost damaged,” said Brian Rider, Temple’s math chair. “I hate to use that term, but they’re so behind.”
Professors tried "expanded office hours, a new tutoring center, pared-down lessons focused on the essentials," writes Binkley. "But students didn’t come for help, and they kept getting D’s and F’s."
This year, Babcock hopes redesigning the algebra class to focus on "active learning" will help. "Class will be more of a group discussion, with lots of problems worked in-class."
George Mason also is offering active learning, and the option to take a slower-paced math class that takes two terms instead of one.
Fonseca failed the placement test four times, again placing in pre-calculus. He'd need at least one extra semester to catch up on math. He decided to start at community college instead. Using what he'd learned in boot camp, he placed into calculus.
Yeow! This is shocking. I can see a “Journalist” or a “Gender Studies” major not knowing rudimentary arithmetic, but someone who is in a STEM program?
That “problem” is covered in most 5th grades. It should have been solvable within seconds, merely via inspection. It’s not like they are asking you to prove the Riemann Hypothesis, or solve a quantum mechanics issue using Lie algebra.
Kind of like some “programmers” today. To them it means going to staples and buying an off the shelf program for something to plug numbers into.
You get more pieces if you cut the pizza into eighths instead of quarters.
When calculated on a phone,
.5 + .3333333 = .833333
Fractions don’t exist in a digital world
5/6
I got that answer before I finished reading the sentence. No paper required.
But I got a STEM degree in 1967...
Being right is white privilege!
BTTT
Vaxed out brains.....precisely what the New World Order expects of its slaves
1800W requires only 15A if 120v
If you have a dedicated circuit, you’re right, no problema.
But if you don’t...
Wait til kids who don’t know math try plugging in their electric cars at home...
These idiots entering college would have been in 9th grade when things started shutting down because of covid, well past the age of learning how to add fractions. At least one someone knew these kids didn’t know basic math for at least 5 years previous to this, though really it’s been much longer.
My homeschooler started learning fractions in 3rd grade, but he’s slightly ahead in math from what used to be the normal.
Yeah, we had those advanced mathematical devices when I was in school too. same years as you, Calculators didn’t exist.
I always ask myself on these math highlights today, What ever happened to elementary school, cuz thats when we learned the basics like this.
Dedicated circuit to one outlet with nothing else on it if you’re going to max out the circuit...
Most college students and even some graduate students don't understand decimal. When asked to explain they usually say, "Everything works backwards to the right of the decimal."
but they know their
LGBTQs
Hey, give them a break. At least they know which pronouns to use.
You are incorrect.
It’s A plus B.
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