Step-By-Step Math Review helps relieve math anxiety for University of Phoenix students
Have you ever studied rigorously for a math exam, only to go totally blank once the test begins? Does the very notion of taking a math class or even picking up a math textbook fill you with dread? If so, then you understand math anxiety firsthand.
“Math anxiety is very real,” says Clifton Luke, PhD, a former math instructor and the vice president of learning products for University of Phoenix. “Many of our students haven’t had a math class in decades, and that can compound math anxiety.”
In Fall 2011, the University launched the Step-By-Step Math Review, an online pre-algebra skills refresher to prepare students for required math courses.
“The United States currently has an overall math education deficit, and it affects students at all levels and across all institutions,” says Luke. “So, we wanted to develop a program that helps all of our students brush up on their pre-algebra math skills, and addresses areas where they might need some extra help.”
Accordingly, all University of Phoenix students in undergraduate degree programs must pass MTH 208 and MTH 209, so developing the necessary math skills to succeed in these courses is essential.
“We want all of our students to master the math material and skills required to pass these courses,” says Luke.
The Step-By-Step Math Review covers 14 key pre-algebra concepts, which are prerequisite skills for required University math courses. It includes interactive modules that automatically adapt the content and problems to the skill level of the individual student, providing very specific feedback and hints to students as they’re working through each problem.
