Productive Persistence
DMAT and Math instructors implement Productive Persistence strategies in the classroom and outside
the classroom. Some examples that are implemented
 Praise given to promote “can do” attitudes
 Creation of an Interactive learning environment
 Allowance of time in class for questions
 Emails to encourage attendance
 Encourage students to take advantage of available resources
 Attention given to the process as well as the correct answers on tests
In DMAT classes students are given an opportunity to retake tests and receive points back in a lecture
class to foster Productive Persistence. Students are encouraged to review their missed problems on
their test in the CSM (Center for Success in Mathematics). Additional assignments are given to reinforce
concepts that were not clear. Instructors encourage students to ask questions during class and during
office hours. Instructors are utilized in the CSM for test reviews and they provide suggestions for
improvement on the student’s retake. Students feel comfortable working with the CSM staff. Once
students discover that the CSM is a useful resource it is utilized regularly.
In a Statway (DMAT 0407, Math 1442) sequence students are assigned to groups. Students work in class
on a rich task designed for students to struggle with new concepts before formal presentation by the
instructor. This approach allows students opportunities to describe a process or formulate a definition
in their own words. The scaffolding design in Statway classes removes some of the anxiety students
experience in a math class. The types of questions asked such as, “What do you think” or “Describe
what you did”, and “Explain your answer” are used to guide the group discussion. This classroom
approach helps removes some of the pressure often felt when a student does not arrive at the correct
answer. The instructor often gives positive feedback about the response and offers guidance to arrive at
the correct answer or develop the next step in the process. The instructor acts as a facilitator for the
learning process during the rich task. The instructor is moving about the class room between groups
answering questions, and providing hints to move the activity to a conclusion. Students typically are
reserved about asking questions in class but in their groups they are engaged, and creative in their
responses. Most groups work together well and build a supportive bond.
Productive Persistence (PP) is pervasive in Math 1314. All of our instructors are reminded of the
importance of the language of productive persistence, and how to get students to work in beneficial
ways, through yearly trainings. The trainings are performed by faculty who have attended multiple
Carnegie Summer Institutes. In an effort for students to understand that struggle is part of the learning
process, some instructors have started using Learning Catalytics, a MyMathLab feature that uses live
interaction in class. Students are asked a question and given live-feedback on their responses, typically
with encouragement that they are getting answers correct or given feedback to explain the reasoning
behind their error. This helps demonstrate that making mistakes is part of the learning process and gets
students actively engaged in the classroom. Students have generally been in favor of the growing use of
technology in the classroom and are more attentive in lectures. College Algebra is a departmentally
constructed course, with the calendar, homework, and final exam all standardized. The faculty on the
College Algebra team designing the homework and Final Exam use PP as a framework to decide the
appropriate amount of work and when to allow more help features, and when to take them away. This
reduces the reliance on aids which, while useful at first, with growth should be discarded. Our students
are initially not fond of the change in difficulty, but freely admit that without it, they would not have
worked as hard, nor performed as well on course exams. Our College Algebra tutors in the College
Algebra Corner are trained to give supporting ideas and structure to the students without doing the
problem for them. Many of our students initially go to the College Algebra Corner for a small bonus, and
then return, using it as their primary place of study. These students uniformly praise the dedication and
caring of the tutors and faculty in the College Algebra Corner. Our Back on Track program, designed
primarily for students who underperformed on the first test but open to all, is designed to change
attitudes about the approach to College Algebra. Embedded in the program are suggestions for
approaches to the course, each of which is an example of productive persistence. It is stressed that the
student does not have to do everything on the list, but change will not come unless they change and do
something different, and the list is a set of useful PP techniques.