Sharon Jackson
Part three in a series looking at new and ongoing retention efforts at Brookhaven College
The Dallas County Community College District’s Office of Student Retention recently approved a $20,000 award that will help developmental math students and faculty members at Brookhaven College. The program for My Math Lab expansion and faculty member training, is one of many programs to recently receive a district retention grant. The Office of Student Retention has approved more than $240,000 in grants for new and ongoing retention efforts at the college.
My Math Lab, an online, interactive math instruction program, is currently required for all online math courses at Brookhaven College. The system includes online textbooks, video lectures, homework exercises, the ability to create quizzes and student performance monitoring. The program will be required in all courses taught by a full-time DMAT professor this fall. In the spring, all courses, including those taught by adjunct professors, will use the program.
Sharon Jackson, mathematics professor, submitted the request for the award.
Since she started using the program in 2004, Jackson says she’s seen improvements. Students benefit from trying out the problems and getting immediate feedback through the program, she said.
If students are having problems, Jackson said, My Math Lab has resources to help. There are guided solutions and a view-by-example explanation of each problem.
“Students get their questions answered right away,” Jackson said, “80 percent of the time.”
The $20,000 grant will go toward training faculty members to use My Math Lab. Professors will use the program to create homework assignments, reviews, quizzes and practice tests.
“It will help instructors make sure students are doing their homework,” Jackson said. “Math is not a spectator sport. You have to do, do, do.”
