Math Anxiety
Would you care to make a comment about dyscalculia (math anxiety), especially with our older students who haven't used any algebra for centuries and see nothing but a rapidly approaching precipice over which they will surely fall- straight into the pit of math hell.
Email is quick and a great way to help students. However, how do we help our algebra students with this very efficient communication system? I am referring to exchanging problem solving techniques within a mathematical framework. We just don't have the resource to write clear algebraic equations and to do that quickly through email. Try to demo with email and its very limited math symbols the solving of a simple quadratic equation using the step by step procedures embedded within the quadratic formula and you have some idea of the bottleneck to which I refer.
Having a good instructor who cares and is able to teach the lesson for each student to understand is the key.
Thank you for a great word (dyscalculia)! I relate my own Math anxieties from grad school to my students, to reassure them they are not alone. As for online help, I rely upon copy-n-pasting the "special characters" for Math symbols from an online list, of which there are many, for example:
http://webdesign.about.com/od/localization/l/blhtmlcodes-math.htm
http://www.wizcity.com/Computers/Characters/MathematicalUTF8.php
... and the grand-daddy of them all:
http://unicode.coeurlumiere.com/?n=8192
I agree with this observation. In the program I teach in, successful math skills are essential to not only success in the program, but equate to life or death situations in the student's choosen profession. I believe this sometimes adds to the student's anxiety if math is already difficult for them. Story problems, which simulate real life situations, I find are the hardest for the students. We spend a great deal of time trying to help the students break down a story problem to what is essential information for what the story is asking, and what is non-essential. Then, demonstrate how to put this essential information into the necessary algebraic formula to obtain the correct answer. I find repeating this process both through group sessions, homework, and in-class participation helps immensly, especially early on in the time frame of the course. And, in my experience, case senarios seem to turn the "story problem" into real "life" situations the adult learners can better comprehend.
Hi Edgar,
I like your formula for success. It is what it takes for the students to see how what they are learning is going to contribute to their career success.
Gary
Pharmacy calculation is hard for the students in my class, it creates anxiety all the time. Feelings and needs of each indivudual student are vital to undertand the calculation process and its application at the pharmacy. Understanding feelings link with application = Release anxiety + success.
Edgar Cortes
A lot of what I see comes from the students not seeing the benifit from the math they were taught in high school. If they can't see why they are doing it they will not listen and not understand it. Then when you get them they don;t comprehend it,I deal with it all the time and I am talking about simple equations
Hi Michael,
Nothing makes a subject come alive like a good instructor and an understanding of application. You are providing such for your students.
Gary
I suffered with Math for my entire education. It wasn't until I discovered computer science that math really started to have some semblance of use in my life.
I try to share my experiences with my students, to let them know it is not uncommon at all. Everyone has a subject that they struggle with. I also try to make sure I know the math tutors at the school. Sometimes a friendly teacher, willing to walk with them to the learning center, makes all the difference in the world.
Hi Don,
I wish I had an answer to your question concerning providing support for students taking math courses and feeling anxiety as a result of it. I hope some of the other participants in this course will be able to provide some insight on this. I have never taught a math course online so while I recognize the problems you face I don't have any response to the situation.
For the students that have math anxiety I try to provide small successes early in the course so they can gain some self confidence quickly and then they get more confident as the weeks go by and the problems more difficult.
Gary
