INTRODUCTION
Forget what you know about the traditional math classroom where teachers lecture and
students diligently take notes while struggling to understand the hieroglyphics materializing
before them on the board. Learning math this way may work for some, but for most the
traditional math classroom does not allow the student to engage with the course material until
the student attempts to work through the practice problems a few days later (and even then …
when faced with math homework, the student may suddenly prefer to do the dishes that have
been sitting in the sink for days). To improve learning and increase student success, we'll study
statistics in an upside down classroom – no more typical lectures, robotic note-taking,
textbooks, skill and drill problems, or traditional high-stakes exams.
So what is an upside down classroom and how does it differ from the traditional math
classroom? In the upside down classroom students are expected to review materials that would
normally be presented in class (including the lecture) outside of class time. This frees class time
up to focus on discussion, collaborative work, and engagement with other activities that are
traditionally done outside of class. More specifically, during class we'll work in groups on
activities and problems that introduce and motivate the concepts in each of the course topics
and/or review course topics and skills. This will allow me to work with students individually or in
small groups during class to facilitate student mastery of concepts and acquisition of skills
needed for the student to work through the "lecture" content and answer a few short questions
online at home. After each course topic is introduced through our in-class group-work and
BEFORE we introduce the next topic, the student is expected to work through the online
materials (lecture content, questions, activities, checkpoints, and/or labs) outside of class. This
online work replaces the typical homework assigned in traditional math classes. Please note – it
is very important that each student completes the online work in a timely manner so that we
can identify gaps in understanding and use class time to remediate those gaps before we move
on to the next topic.
In summary, the student should expect to engage in the following activities during class.
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Group-work to motivate and introduce key concepts for each of the course topics
Group-work to review skills and work through skill-building problems from topics
previously discussed in class
Class discussions of course topics
Mini lectures as necessary to close gaps in concept mastery or skill attainment
Mini on-the-spot poster presentations (with speed dating)
Furthermore, the student should expect to do the following outside of class.
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Read the online lecture content on the OLI (Open Learning Initiative) website (you'll find
more information about OLI in the next section)
Answer the embedded questions, complete the embedded activities, and StatTutor labs
while working through the OLI content
Complete the topic and module checkpoints (think of these as homework problems)
THE OPEN LEARNING INITIATIVE (OLI)
Carnegie Mellon University offers online course materials through its Open Learning Initiative to
anyone who wants to learn or teach. Their goal is to combine open high-quality courses,
continuous feedback, and research to improve learning and transform higher education.
In lieu of a textbook and the traditional math classroom we'll use Carnegie Mellon's free Open
Learning Initiative Statistics course and the upside down classroom described in the previous
section to learn statistics this semester.
GETTING STARTED WITH OLI
Follow these steps to create a student account and register for Math 173 OLI text.
Go to the Open Learning Initiative (OLI) website: http://oli.cmu.edu
1. In the Sign In or Register box (upper right-hand corner), click on Register.
2. Complete the student sign-up form and then click on the Sign Up button in the bottom
left-hand corner.
3. On the Confirm Your Account Information page, review the account information you
entered. If you wish to make any changes, click the Edit Account button. If
everything is correct, click the Confirm Account button. Important Note: the only
account setting that cannot be changed after you confirm your account is your
Account ID.
4.
Read the statements in the Online Consent Form. As you have already agreed to
participate in the study, to be consistent, please select I Agree. Selecting I Do Not
Agree will not allow your data to be included in the study. Then select Submit.
5.
You will be presented with your OLI My Courses page. Enter the following course key
in the dialog box and click on GO.
Course Key: yunsp2015 (the Course Key is case sensitive)
6.
To complete registration for the Math 137 course, you will need to enter the following
course password (again you will do this only once as the course password is only
required to register for the course) and then click on the Register button.
Course Password: yunsp2015 (the Course Password is case sensitive)
7.
Prior to using the course for the first time, or any time you use a new computer to
access the course, please select the Test and Configure My System link. On the Test
and Configure page you can run an automated test and read instructions that will
assist you in installing the required software and configuring your system
appropriately.
8.
Finally, click on Enter Course link to start your first reading assignment (due the
second day of class – see below).
9. Now that you have an ID and are registered in the course, you can access your OLI My
Courses homepage and enter your course by going to http://oli.cmu.edu at any time
and entering your OLI account ID and OLI password in the Sign In section (access the
Sign In page by clicking on Sign In rather than Register).
10. If you have technical problems, click the Help link at the top of any page or send
questions to: [email protected].
FIRST HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT AND GROUP QUIZ
This assignment will prepare you for a group quiz next class meeting.
Read through the following Introduction and Learning Strategies sections of our class on OLI.
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Introduction
Learning Strategies
The Big Picture
On the next class meeting, you will work with your group to reproduce (draw) the Big Picture
and briefly describe its various parts without notes. This will be your first group quiz.