Teaching Math and Science
Math & Science Curriculum
Teaching and assessing mathematics and some of the sciences online is very difficult. There are many tools available, but there are also many factors that affect their use, including:
- The steep learning curve involved in using them correctly
- We generally only have students for one or two semesters, so we do not want to spend much time teaching them how to use software they will never need again.
- Each subject area requires a different type of software, which sometimes means different rules for input, which can be very confusing.
We have found that often, when an assessment is completed online using software, the student is tested more on their ability to input equations correctly than their ability to perform a specific mathematical operation. Currently, for testing where equation input is required (mathematics, chemistry and physics), the tests are still written by hand and are scanned and emailed to the professor.
Ideas from Instructors
- Students’ frustration mount, and the fear and dislike of math also grows when students do not see success or when success is delayed. When students get stuck on a problem, they must email you for help and await your response. Try to provide alternatives for students so they have lots of resources if they get stuck. And try to respond to emails as quickly as possible so your student can return to work!
- Online: Online students are often in different demographics than in-class students. Although General Arts and Science students tend to be very diverse overall, many students online tend to be a little bit older and often have children, employment or other commitments that make online learning work well for them. This sometimes requires flexibility with deadlines for various situations that may arise. These are often different than the situations you may encounter in class. This results from different demographics and should not be taken as evidence of cheating or attempting to gain an edge. Students do not usually make a habit of these requests, so give the benefit of the doubt, at least the first or second-time life circumstances arise.
- Online: Online students tend to have different email habits than in-class students. They check email less frequently, and even when they check regularly, they still respond slowly. Make sure to give additional lead time for assignments to allow for this delay.
- Online: Frequent emails and announcement posts keep students engaged in the course. When you post information for the week, a regular time and day can ensure that students continue to “check in” regularly.
- Blended: The single most significant issue in blended courses is getting students to take the online class hour seriously. Students intuitively treat it like suggested work and not required work. Getting students to do their online modules at the correct time is also challenging. Sometimes, in Math/Science, assigning the module before class is easiest so that more straightforward material can be built upon in class. Providing students with some short assessment that briefly tests material from the online hour can ensure that students do the one hour of learning at the correct time.
Virtual Assessment for Math & Science
Virtual testing can also pose a challenge for Math and Science courses. General information about Virtual Testing is in the Testing section. The following considerations can help you virtually assess students taking online classes in Math or Science:
- For multiple-choice questions, make the question short and simple. Include answer options that are common mistakes for students. Try to make the stem of the problem a complete sentence or a question rather than just a mathematical equation or a partial sentence.
- Give students (and the proctor) clear instructions on your expectations for their submission. If they are handwriting, the questions must be submitted in order, the work must be organized and easy to read, and the file format needs to be .pdf or .jpg (for example). Consider whether you want work submitted in multiple files or all in one document.
- Anytime you can post your handwritten solutions to assessments after they have been graded. This may not apply to formative assessments, but students should be able to see where they went wrong on a summative assessment and how and where you assign/reduce marks.
Additional Resources
- Companion sites (QRG) – An information sheet on the companion websites for the math and science textbooks.
- Instructions to Access Online Resources (PDF) – An instructional handout to provide to students for accessing the online resources for the IntroMath website.
- Wiley Plus (PDF) – An instructional handout for students to access the WileyPLUS Chemistry website’s online resources.
