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By Sherry F. Pruitt

JONESBORO -- A new program in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY's College of Sciences and Mathematics is expected to quell students' math anxiety.

Beginning with the fall semester, the math department is using computer software that seems to make learning math easier and is expected to lessen the failure rate at Arkansas State, said Dr. Michael Hall, assistant professor of mathematics.

"It's called Math ASSETS," Hall said, using the acronym for Assuring Student Success with Educational Technology Support. "The basics is that we've stepped up our student learning models for developmental, intermediate and college algebra."

In the past, university algebra students sat facing a teacher explaining problems on the blackboard. Today, new computers and software in the computer labs allow students to enter answers directly into a computer for half-time instruction and half-time problem-solving, Hall said.

"Now we have a computer-assisted learning model," Hall said.

The software is accessible in the labs in the Math Building, at the Dean B. Ellis Library and in dormitory rooms. The software also is included with the purchase of a $90 textbook so students can install it on their home computers, Hall said.

Now that tests and quizzes can be taken online, more instruction time is available during class time. If students need help in a particular area, they can practice answering questions that only relate to the problem area.

Each time the student answers, he or she must answer correctly at least 80 percent of the time to advance, Hall said.

Students can work online in one of three components, including instruction; pre-certification, which is step-by-step practice; and the certification component, an actual lesson they can work -- repeatedly, if they feel the need, Hall explained.

Students can complete their homework online and also can watch a video of a professor teaching the lesson, over and over if necessary.

And to do well on the test, students have to complete their homework -- which studies have shown is paramount, Hall said.

"The primary key is getting them to do their homework," he said.

In the past, 30 percent of students at each of the three levels -- developmental, intermediate and college algebra -- fail, Hall said.

Universities with similar statistics have seen their failure rates decrease by 15 percent, he added. That's a goal he would like to see at ASU-Jonesboro.

Most students taking developmental and intermediate courses are freshmen and sophomores, he said. Some students will wait until their senior year to take algebra because of the dread.

Hall said one of the best benefits of the program is that results are instant for the students. They're instant for instructors as well -- they are able to see what their students are struggling with and tailor their lessons accordingly, he said. Instructors can also see the amount of time spent on certain sections.

The additional computer use is a benefit for students because they live in a digital age.

"We're here to help them gain computer skills, which are highly sought after," Hall said. "It adds another level to their computer skills."

Some 200 colleges and universities across the country are using the software, including Arkansas Tech University at Russellville and the University of Mississippi at Oxford.

"I'm excited about it," the professor said. "It's a wonderful thing, a transition in college algebra to where students will be successful."

sherry@jonesborosun.com