[RUME] On-line Placement tests -- the BSDT

[Jerome Epstein]

As Jose as mentioned my test, let me insert a few comments.
If anyone wants the test and a report on a significant chunk of results 
from a variety of classes and schools, please just email me. I will ask 
for agreement to a set of non-disclosure terms.
Please email to my office:
jepstein at poly.edu

The test consists of 13 questions in part 1, two of which have two parts 
(i.e. 15 answers are required). These involve fractions, decimals, area, 
volume (not formulas), proportional reasoning, all of these should be 
answerable in my opinion by a competent 8th grader. Calculators are not 
permitted. At Polytechnic (and I think it is fair to say that we are 2nd 
tier engineering school) LARGE numbers of entering students show major 
deficiencies on part I. This is confirmed when they come to see the 
department head who always keeps an 8th grade math review book in his 
office. . . He finds lots of them simply do not understand 8th grade (or 
earlier) math. If you give this test, be prepared, and decide that you 
really want to know the truth. The test has been given now at probably 
30 or 40 schools (some of which have not sent me results), at ALL 
schools and in ALL classes -- including one that had a prerequisite of 3 
semesters of calculus -- there is a percentage of students who lost all 
track of any meaning in mathematics after the 4th grade. The only thing 
that changes when one goes to different classes or different schools is 
the percentage. This ranges from perhaps 15% at one of the most 
selective schools in the country to more than 67% at one of the better 
local community colleges.

The 2nd part of the test is algebraic. It contains 11 questions, all but 
three of which should be answerable by a student competent in 9th grade 
algebra. The three more advanced involve the concept of a function, the 
graph of a function, and the concept of a common logarithm.  Scores on 
the second part are with rare exceptions lower than on the first part, 
and are in some classes near zero. The test is NOT multiple choice, 
though there is a multiple choice version. One learns much more about 
the student functioning from the non-multiple choice version.

The logarithm question (Estimate the log (base 10) of 500. . any answer 
between 2 and 3 is accepted), produces essentially complete wipe out in 
ALL classes, including those that have had extensive work on logarithmic 
functions in calculus. I would say with assurance that not more than 10% 
of students can answer this question, in many classes it is zero. 

The test is exceptionally revealing -- and depressing -- when given to 
middle school teachers.
The test takes about 40 minutes. Scores on the first half rise 
dramatically in the course of my two-semester integrated science/math 
program which is specifically designed to raise the cognitive level. 
This program does not deal with the algebraic material sufficiently to 
do a post-test/pre-test comparison on the 2nd part of the test. There is 
a paper on the integrated lab program in Journal of College Science 
Teaching, December 1997.

Jerry Epstein

Jose H. Giraldo wrote:

>These are some comments about what we are doing and what we are thinking
>about doing on placement test. I hope it helps Charles somehow.  Any input
>is appreciated.
>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>
>At this point we are facing serious questioning about the placement test.
>We used to administer the MAA placement test, but the previous chair
>decided to move to SAT scores. However, we are seeing so many deficiencies
>in the calculus I students that we are considering taking actions. One of
>them is to give an on line placement test. Hopefully our own on line test.
>
>We are taking some actions to attack the problem. As a first step we gave
>to all students enrolled in calculus 1 (about 150) this semester the MAA
>calculus readiness test. The results indicate that only 40% of the
>students enrolled in calculus I are ready to take it. This may explain all
>the struggle they are having in this course. Last semester I gave a
>strictly computational test at the beginning of the calculus I course, and
>it was a disaster too. The performance was very low. However, the majority
>of these students have already taken a math college course. I need to get
>the count of the performance of students who are taking this as their
>first math course in college.
>
>We are talking about having an on line placement test. What we have talked
>so far is something like this:
>
>1. A list of prerequisites items the student is expected to have to
>succeed in calculus I. (I would like to learn more about Jerry's test).
>
>2. The items in part (1) can be accompanied by some sample questions and
>probably practice problems.
>
>3. The student will be encouraged to take the placement test before coming
>to the university. The score obtained will be used to initially place the
>student in calculus I
>
>4. To make sure there was not cheating involved, the student has to
>revalidate the score in a supervised environment hen he arrives to the
>university (This item will generate a lot of discussion)
>
>It seems like a lot to do. However, the immediate advantage of it, if we
>go ahead with these ideas, is that the students who pass the calculus I
>readiness test will come to the course fresh in terms of prerequisite
>material and that will help them succeed in the course. Of course the
>other problem we are facing right now is that our own students (students
>who took precalculus with us) did not pass the placement we administer
>this semester. To make the process stronger and guarantee a comparable
>starting level in calculus I then we will need to look at precalculus and
>what the students are getting out of it. But probably this is not the
>point of this discussion.
>
>Jose Giraldo
>
>
>On Fri, February 10, 2006 6:04 pm, Jerome Epstein wrote:
>  
>
>>I think Charles is correct to be very concerned about online placement.
>>
>>I would point out that on my Basic Skills Diagnostic Test (BSDT -- write
>>for info if you want), there is a quite strong correlation between the
>>score on the first half and the SAT I. The first half of the test is
>>non-algebraic and all of its questions should be answerable by a
>>competent 8th or 9th grader. What is quite stunning is the relative
>>scale of the correlation. If one says that 75% on the 8th grade level
>>test is minimally competent this correlates to 620 on the SAT. Below 600
>>one finds rapidly increasing probability that one will see serious
>>problems at elementary school level math, approaching virtual certainty
>>at 500 (the national average). This has been shown now at 3
>>universities, and with many hundreds of students at my university. We
>>have students who have passed calculus in high school and cannot put
>>fractions and decimals in order from smallest to largest. Lots of them.
>>So do you, if you have students near the national average SAT.
>>
>>Jerry Epstein
>>
>>Charles Schwartz wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>The Orientation office at my university is proposing to move away
>>>      
>>>
>>>from giving a paper and pencil test to incoming freshman students.
>>    
>>
>>>One option they are pushing is for us to offer an on-line placement
>>>test.  A second option they are pushing is for us to rely on just the
>>>Math SAT score.
>>>
>>>Currently:  new freshmen are placed into a freshman math class by the
>>>Math SAT scores and by our own in-house Math Skills Test.  If the
>>>Math SAT score is 550 or greater, then the Skills Test is waived, and
>>>Liberal Arts students may enroll in Finite Math (which serves as our
>>>Liberal Arts math class, and uses Mathematical Ideas by Miller,
>>>Hereen, Hornsby); or Business Majors may enroll in Quatitative Method
>>>for Business.  (Math and Science majors are a different category, and
>>>I'll skip over their placement.)
>>>
>>>If the Math SAT score is under 550, we administer our Math Skills
>>>Test at a Testing session in May.  Students who pass our Skills Test
>>>may also enroll in Finite Math or Quantitative Methods, as
>>>appropriate, but student who fail must enroll in the course Math
>>>Skills Lab (if Liberal Arts) or Intro to Quantitative Methods (if
>>>Business).  Neither of these classes carries credit toward
>>>graduation, nor, in our opinion, should they, since they are remedial.
>>>
>>>I'm reluctant to go to on-line testing, because I fear that (a)
>>>students might have a friend take the test for them or (b) students
>>>won't follow the rules we put in place.  Our rule is "no calculators"
>>>and many students resent this, but we think it is important for
>>>students at least to have minimal skills with arithmetic and algebra
>>>before entering these math classes.  It is my experience (as Chair,
>>>and previously, as Director of the Math Lab)  that many students
>>>would do whatever it takes to avoid taking the developmental,
>>>non-credit class (except study, that is).
>>>
>>>I'm also reluctant to rely solely on the SAT score, because the SAT
>>>is testing at a higher level of understanding. ( There's also the
>>>calculator issue, but ...)
>>>
>>>Does anyone have direct experience with online placement tests, and
>>>whether students abide by the rules?
>>>Or anecdotal reports, or research on whether students who pass
>>>on-line tests are better or worse prepared than students who take
>>>paper-and-pencil tests?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>
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>>
>>    
>>
>
>
>--
>Jose H. Giraldo, Ph.D.
>Associate Professor
>Mathematics Program Coordinator
>Department of Computing and Mathematical Sciences
>Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
>6300 Ocean Dr.
>Corpus Crhisti, TX 78412-5825
>Phone (361) 825 5827
>Fax   (361) 825-2795
>
>
>  
>

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