Emporium Model … A Good 3-Year Solution to the Wrong Problem

Many of us are involved with emporium-type projects; these changes are often in the popular media … such as the article about college algebra at the University of Texas – Arlington (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/07/us/ut-arlington-adopts-new-way-to-tackle-algebra.html).  I refer to emporium-type projects as ‘3-year solutions’ because they do not address basic problems … the main focus is a symptom of a problem (low pass rates) and a generalized threat to higher education (costs). 

A particular project might in the emporium style might last longer than 3 years, but mostly due to the investment the institution has made in space and infrastructure.  And, most emporium-type projects will produce better data (the symptom) especially in the first two years … the motivational effects of ‘something new’ can help faculty and students, at least for a while.  Over time, the data will tend to degrade from the early improvements.  The cost savings will be difficult to maintain in the long term; since the primary savings comes from limiting of faculty time, administrators will face pressures to increase faculty assistance for students.   One of the forces that supports ‘survival’ of the project (investment in space, especially) will eventually turn out to be a challenge for survival, as other demands develop in the institution.

Like ‘module solutions’, emporium-type solutions tend to avoid curricular problems.  Procedural techniques in the absence of understanding mathematical concepts, with a pronounced lack of applications to useful situations (in academia and in life), within a context of “you have to pass this math course in order to do what you want” … these are some of the basic curricular problems we face.  In theory, an emporium-type model COULD address these issues; however, doing so is likely to be more difficult (perhaps much more) than in other designs which place faculty in a more active role as facilitator of learning.

Part of these difficulties are a result of using technology as a foundational component in the learning process.  Most of the technology used is mass-market software focusing on the ‘greatest common factor’ (often mis-spoken as ‘least common denominator’) of math faculty — these technology solutions deal primarily with problem types that most faculty can agree to … in other words, procedural techniques and routine applications that can be done repeatedly without understanding.  Addressing the curricular problems with technology would involve large investments of resources in development, which no single institution can afford … and publishers are reluctant to provide it without the ‘market’.

Let’s put it this way:  The curricular problems must be addressed first, before we can identify or build appropriate instructional systems.  The problem solving of solving the curricular issues is the strength of faculty, which means that the solutions will tend to be very faculty and classroom-based for quite a while.   Eventually, we might be able to use a model like the emporium in a long-term solution; right now, this is just not possible.  Technology follows curricular change … curricular change CAN be inspired by technology, but this is unusual.  (As an example, the curricular changes due to graphing calculators turned out to be less substantial than many thought or some feared — even though there have been changes, the long-term effect was mediated by the curricular problems.)

If you are involved with an emporium-type project, I would say that you should enjoy it as much as possible … and do not count on the project to last past a few years.  In the meantime, become familiar with the emerging models for developmental mathematics (AMATYC New Life, Dana Center Mathways, Carnegie Pathways) and the reform work in college mathematics (MAA CRAFTY, AMATYC Right Stuff).  You will need to be prepared for the day when your institution decides that the emporium-type project is not good enough.  Perhaps you will even be involved in convincing your institution that there is a better path forward, a path focusing on solutions that address basic problems. 

Emporium does not mean forever.

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