Walking the STEM Path V: Intermediate Algebra’s Role

We’ve got some problems to solve in college mathematics.  The most important problems involve the role of Intermediate Algebra.  Currently, that intermediate algebra course operates as a filter … a barrier with extremely limited benefits to students.  #STEMPath #IntermAlg #AlgLiteracy

Historically, intermediate algebra is an altered copy of a ‘typical’ “Algebra II” course from the K-12 world.  That Algebra II content was driven by a variety of forces, none of which involved STEM preparation.  For one thing, the Algebra II content was created knowing that a significant portion of those teaching the class would be non-math majors.  In addition, “easy replication” was given a higher priority than “important mathematics”; it was more important that the course could be easily delivered in most schools, than the content have benefits to the students in college.

Now, we have (sort of) the Common Core math standards.  Even in states where the Common Core is not being opposed by political forces, the impact is limited.  In my state, the opposition has been focused on the assessment using high-stakes tools; the schools can still ‘implement common core’.  However, we are seeing the results of the Common Core paradox:

Any course ever taught in K-12 exists as a subset of Common Core, even those courses clearly opposed to the outline of mathematical practices.

Algebra II is not going away in K-12 work; it’s not even changing that much.  What this means is that Algebra II, our source for Intermediate Algebra, is  just as disconnected from student needs in college.

The Intermediate Algebra focus, just as in Algebra II, is on 3 priorities:

1. Topics
2. Procedures
3. Answers

On occasion, an intermediate algebra course will coincidentally do some good mathematics on the road from ‘topic’ to ‘procedures’.  However, since this good mathematics is done in a disconnected way in a minor part of the course, the result is a huge mis-match with student needs:

1. Understanding
2. Connections
3. Reasoning

To paraphrase a student complaint at my college:

You take my money every semester, knowing that this course will not do any good.

[The actual student complaint was ‘not pass’ the course.]

In many ways, the reason for the Algebra II content is pretty similar to the reasons Intermediate Algebra has survived — we don’t require strong ‘math credentials’ to teach developmental mathematics, and replication is more important.  We have the additional force of ‘online homework systems’.

However, the intermediate algebra fiasco can not continue.  The tragedy will be ended when our best teaching mathematicians work on preparing students for STEM work (calculus-bound and others).  The New Life “Algebraic Literacy” course was created to fit this goal, and the Dana Center “Reasoning with Functions” courses also work in this direction.

So, what are YOU doing to end the tragedy named “Intermediate Algebra”?

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1 Comment

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  By schremmer, September 8, 2015 @ 5:02 pm

  Re. “So, what are YOU doing to end the tragedy named “Intermediate Algebra”?

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