Recovering Learning Loss in Quantitative Reasoning:                         An AL$-MERLOT INNOVATION PROJECT

Welcome! The goal of this website is to provide you information you need to support your students to recover and advance their quantitative reasoning skills through a program in STATISTICS so they can succeed in college as they return to classes after the COVID pandemic.  The INNOVATION Project is also part of MERLOT's Affordable Learning Solutions (AL$) Program which helps campuses save students thousands of dollars by using alternative free and low-cost course materials.

The Affordable Learning Solutions-MERLOT team invites you to partner in a project supporting students whose instructional time was disrupted during the pandemic. This project focuses on helping students (re)develop their quantitative reasoning skills. We know we still have much to learn, and we are here to collaborate with you to help your students find success at your institution.

Your Team: Maria Fieth, Gerry Hanley, & Rick Lumadue (MERLOT & SkillsCommons) 

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many incoming college freshmen will begin this academic year without having mastered foundational math concepts. High school seniors are among the many students who have lost learning opportunities and time to practice math skills. Even without a global pandemic, math knowledge and skills often pose major challenges for first-year students in college.

What can be done to help students obtain the learning they need to succeed? 

1. Focus on STATISTICS as the quantitative reasoning skills that meet GENERAL EDUCATION requirements.  STATISTICS puts the math skills in contexts of everyday problems students need to solve in a world of uncertainties.

2. Provide an Affordable Learning Solutions (AL$) technology (under $30) that empowers students learning with scaffolding tools and auto-drafting technologies that create models for solving statistical problems. Intellectus Statistics also blends Open Educational Resources found in MERLOT to augment its services without adding costs.  The software subscription comes with a FREE eTextbook that students can keep after the course is over!

3.  Learn statistics without computer programming.  IS provides user-friendly technology that guides students through a critical thinking, decision making process without having to learn programming skills.

Intellectus Statistics:  

AN AFFORDABLE LEARNING SOLUTION!

Our Affordable Learning Solutions (AL$) program will provide opportunities for students and instructors to use and receive on-going support for adopting Intellectus Statistics (IS) in their classes. 

FOR THE INSTRUCTORS: IS includes a complete set of online course content and homework problems for the basic concepts in statistics. The course materials also provide help for students for their basic math skills needed in statistics.   You spend your time using your talents teaching statistics and not computer programming.

FOR THE STUDENTS:  IS provides a workbook of statistical problems to practice what they have learned, and a student-friendly online textbook that explains and illustrates the basic concepts in statistics.

Intellectus Statistics (IS) is a complete package of instructional content, auxiliary materials, and technology platform that enables students learning statistics by overcoming the barriers to learning. Faculty have FREE access to this platform so they can explore and use IS for their own research and/or administrative purposes.

What does your institution need to do?

• Identify a faculty or staff member to be designated as "coordinator" for the INNOVATION PROJECT. As the title indicates, this person will be responsible for coordinating campus staff and resources to support students using IS. Coordination includes connecting with:
  • The institution’s Math, Psychology, Sociology, and/or other Department  that teaches statistics so faculty are aware of and can be invited to use of the tool.
  • Learning Assistance Center or existing organizations currently used to support student academic success.
• Faculty will be invited to use Intellectus Statistics for a portion of their class in the Spring 2023 semester/quarter.  The goal is for faculty to evaluate if Intellectus Statistics is: 1) an easy-to-use and effective tool for them to teach statistics, 2) a tool that accelerates students learning of quantitative skills, 3) an "affordable learning solution for their campus.  
• Faculty will be invited to aggregate their evaluations with other faculty participating in the Innovation Project and to participate in a conference presentation and possible publication of the research.  The MERLOT-OLC INNOVATE Conference occurs April of every year.
• At campus academic events, the coordinator would help celebrate those faculty and students who have successfully completed the innovative strategy of achieving the college-level, quantitative reasoning skills.

Want to learn MORE on how to adopt IS?

MERLOT and Intellectus Statistics will conduct webinars to review how your institution can adopt the tool and answer questions.  IS will dedicate support services to institutions participating in this program.

Getting Started - IT IS EASY!

• Email Melissa Moran (melissa@intellectusstatistics.com) indicating your institution would like to participate in the MERLOT Innovation Project.  

  Then, MERLOT and IS will design a campus-specific portal for your faculty and students that walk them through signing up and getting started on IS.

  Additionally, MERLOT and IS will conduct webinars to answer questions and review how your institution can adopt IS.   

FINAL COMMENT (FOR NOW): We realize you and your colleagues are overwhelmed with many demands from the COVID pandemic to the normal demands of the school year.   The IS team is here to help. Call on them!

NOT QUITE READY TO DO THIS RIGHT NOW?

IS has team members on staff every day of the year. This means they can offer you support whenever you’re ready.