Mattoon, IL-(Effingham Radio)- Lake Land College has replaced all developmental math courses with a ground-breaking math sequence design using co-requisite courses, becoming the first community college in Illinois to accomplish this innovative goal.
Developed by Mathematics Instructors Sarah Harley and Bambi Jones, the new math sequence design ensures Lake Land College students will no longer spend time and money on non-credit-bearing developmental math courses.
“We are thrilled by the innovation of our faculty to position Lake Land College as a state and nationwide leader in math education,” Lake Land College President Josh Bullock said. “We believe the promise of a better future through the power of education should be available to all, and this approach helps ensure equitable outcomes for the most at-risk student populations.”
Developmental math courses are standard throughout higher education and serve the purpose of developing the math skills of students with low test scores to prepare them to take higher-level classes. These developmental courses do not award college credit toward degree or certificate completion, meaning students with low test scores often must take additional classes and incur more expenses than their peers.
To combat these challenges, Lake Land College replaced all developmental math courses with new math sequences that includes co-requisite courses. In co-requisite courses, students with low test scores enroll directly into credit-bearing college math courses and receive supplemental support from faculty. Lake Land introduced the co-requisite format in 2016 in statistics and general education math courses, and in 2022 expanded to include college algebra. In Fall 2023, new math sequences were introduced and all developmental math courses were eliminated.
Since implementing the new math sequences, Lake Land College has seen a substantial increase in general education math completion rates. Students are also now completing their math requirements in fewer semesters, ensuring they avoid delays on their path to graduation.
Those interested in learning more about the new Lake Land College math sequence design are invited to attend a virtual information session on Nov. 18 from 1-2 p.m. To join, go to LakeLandCollege.zoom.us/j/95267979157 and use 952-6797-9157 as the meeting ID.
For more information, contact Sarah Harley at sharley@lakelandcollege.edu or Bambi Jones at bjones@lakelandcollege.edu.
Lake Land College District 517, located in Mattoon, Illinois, serves the second largest community college district in the state, with a total population of 189,869. The Lake Land College district comprises all or part of 15 counties and 31 public school districts in rural east central Illinois. Counties served by Lake Land College include: Christian, Clark, Clay, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Jasper, Macon, Montgomery, Moultrie and Shelby.
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