Monday, August 17, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section D · Page 13
Undergraduates teach math to peers
Grades have improved in 002,101 since program began seven years ago
By Eryl Cochran Special to the Kansan
Alimee Felix, 20, Tyler, Texas, junior, has no background in teaching and is not an education major, but every week she teaches Math 002.
Students at the University of Kansas pay as much as $826.95 for a three-hour class whether a professor, graduate teaching assistant or undergraduate teaches the class.
The math department uses undergraduate teachers, also known as group leaders, more than any other department on campus. In fact, nine out of 13 Math 002 courses and 21 out of 38 Math 101 courses are taught by undergraduates as young as 19 years old.
"I specifically try not to advertise my age," Felix said. "Students often assume that I fall into the graduate category. I have heard of some situations in which some students become hostile after finding out their teacher's age. I don't know, maybe it's an eoething."
Sometimes a group leader's age can create barriers with students.
Chad Martens, Stilwell junior, is one of those hostile students.
"I hated my TA. Maybe if he had been more experienced, I would have done better," Martens said. "Now, I have GTAs teaching my classes. These are harder classes, but I'm doing better because my teacher's know what they are doing."
Carol Lucas, director of the algebra program, disagreed with Martens and said she thought that group leaders
cared about their students in a way that most professors did not.
"Some have review sessions the night before a test to help their students. Full professors do not do this as a general rule." Lucas said.
Hiring undergraduates as teachers keens class sizes smaller.
There is not enough money in the math department's faculty budget to afford as many professors as are needed. Initially, group leaders are paid minimum wage, and enrollment in classes is kept between 20 to 24 students, Lucas said.
The requirements for becoming a group leader include the completion of two semesters of calculus, a recommendation from a previous math teacher and an interview to test personality, handwriting and English skills.
The group leaders then attend an orientation to learn teaching methods.
"We have a three- to four-day orientation where we focus on skills, strategy, what and what not to teach and students' attitudes such as a class that won't participate," Lucas said.
The group leaders meet once a week to discuss upcoming schedules, homework assignments and tests.
"We are given pre-made lesson plans for every session with detailed instructions." Felix said. "In our weekly meeting, we are shown how the material should be presented."
Felix said she thought that she had an advantage compared to other teachers on campus.
"It's the student/student perspective. I understand my students have a lot of other homework and tests, so sometimes I will give them an extra day to get their homework done. I also make things fun because I know how boring math can be for some people."
"We are given pre-made lesson plans for every session with detailed instructions.In our weekly meeting, we are shown how the material should be presented."
Aimee Felix
Group leader
Felix said.
Sheila Lobmeyer, Pratt junior and teacher of Math 101, is a math education major. For her, teaching has reinforced her decision to become a teacher. Lobmeyer agreed that being a young teacher has advantages.
"Professors are more educated, five years more, but sometimes professors are way out there. They know the material, but they don't know how to teach it." Lobmeyer said. "Besides, professors don't have to have a teaching degree to teach either."
Undergraduates were not always allowed to teach the math courses. About seven years ago, these classes, 902 and 101, were self-taught.
"The they decided they wanted to create a new program where instructors taught the course, but there was not enough money to staff those classes," said Robert Weaver, associate dean for liberal arts and sciences.
Many students opted to take the course at Johnson County Community College because they were performing poorly, said Dennis Day, associate dean of students at Johnson County Community College. Since the new program has been installed, the number of KU students enrolled at Johnson County in the course equivalent to Math 101 has declined by about 10 percent.
Since the transformation, students also have been doing better.
ment shows that the students who received A's and B's in Math 101 increased by 18 percent, and students who received A's and B's in Math 002 increased by 23 percent after the Kansas Algebra Program was implemented, which allowed undergraduates to teach. The number of students who failed both courses decreased.
"As soon as we started this new program, the performances of the students went up considerably," Weaver said.
The department's basic skills assess-
he said he did not think that allowing undergraduates to teach was the final solution. He said he hoped eventually the University's admissions process would change.
"With qualified admissions, we hope fewer people will need this process," Weaver said.
Qualified admissions require high school students to take prescribed math courses.
"No longer will KU have to take every graduate from a Kansas high school. Students will have achieved some level of excellence besides just graduating. They will be better prepared for mathematics in general than they are now." Weaver said.
The math department has received few complaints about undergraduates teaching. And Weaver said the complaints they did hear were from students who did not realize that the courses used to be self-taught.
Donation made for doctorals in theater, drama
By Mariana Palva
Kansan Staff Reporter
Doctoral candidates may get some extra help for their pocketbooks this fall.
William Kuhlike, a former University of Kansas professor, and his wife Glennys, donated $33,000 to establish the Russian Theater Fellowship.
Candidates admitted to the doctoral programs of Slavic languages or theater and film, and whose area of concentration will be Russian theater and drama, may apply for a $2,000 grant renewable up to 3 years in either department.
During Kuhke's 35 years at the University, he created the first Russian and theater doctoral concentration program in the United States and directed and acted in several KU stage productions.
Although the gift was officially announced by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences June 11, the awards have already been given for two consecutive years to Lance Gharavi, Merriam doctoral candidate in the theater department.
"Bill Kuhike was the finest teacher I've ever known so it was an honor for me to get his award," Gharavi said.
Maia Kipp, assistant professor of the Slavic department, said Gharavi was the only one to apply for the grant, and although other students have expressed interest, they had not yet been accepted in the doctoral program.
"We have several incoming Ph.D. candidates, and at least two may be interested in applying for the fellowship." Kipp said.
Representatives of both departments will decide who is the most qualified candidate based on grades, recommendation letters and research interest.
"This award may increase the number of people interested in this area, but the pool will never be huge because it is restricted to the doctoral level," said John Gronbeck-Tedesco, chairman of the department of theater and film.
The fund to support the Russian Theater Fellowship will be administered by the KU Endowment Association, the official fund-raising and fund-management organization for the University.
JUCO transfers test preparation at state universities
Many students don't notice significant difference in schools
By Brad Hillier Special to the Kansan
Josh Gaume transferred from Allen County Community College in Iola, to the University of Kansas in 1997.
row big of a change was it coming to the new campus?
"The only difference between Allen County and KU is the distance I have to walk to class everyday." Gaume said.
attending a community college.
Gaume, Osage City junior, was one of 655 transfers from the 19 Kansas community colleges in the fall of 1997.
When classes begin at the University this fall, the number of community college transfer students is expected to be about the same.
Gaume said that he was prepared for a state university after
"I don't think the transition was that bad. My grade point average has dropped a bit, due to my Japanese class, but really, if you want to go to college, you will go." Gaume said.
Matt Dunn, Overland Park sophomore, was enrolled at the University and Johnson County Community College last spring. He said he thought there were only minimal differences.
"I start my days at Johnson County, and after two classes there, I have to drive to Lawrence for two more. I guess I just get tired during the drive, but really I don't see much difference in the two in regards to how tough the classes are," Dunn said.
Many of the state's community colleges agreed that there was not a lot of difference. Garden City Community College keeps statistics about grade point average differences of its alumni who have transferred to four-year schools. About two out of
three students maintain their GPAs or raise them, said Barbara Thurman, counselor at Garden City Community College.
"I think community colleges can help students make the step from high school to a university easier. Some students will start at a four-year school, then transfer to a community college. Community colleges can prepare students well academically and many mature a lot." Thurman said.
Joann Williams, principal analyst of institutional research, said that there were some transfer students whose GPAs would drop but not many.
The University keeps records of graduation rates and GPA tracking for first-time freshmen but not for community college transfers.
"Keeping track of transfer students' success rates is something we should do, but we don't. It's certainly worth looking at," Williams said.
Kathryn Nemeth Tuttle, director of freshman and sophomore advising at the University, said she thought it was important to plan ahead. She said that students might be delayed if they did not know what classes would transfer.
"I think students should visit with their counselors and advisers at community colleges, so they know what classes will transfer," she said.
Randy Myers, dean of student services at Hutchinson Community College, said he also thought the community college system was working but that there was room for improvement.
Not only do community colleges deal with a lot of freshmen and sophomores, but we service plenty of non-traditional students. It seems to me, from the information that I have, that the community college system is working," he said. "There can be better communication between community colleges and Regents schools. I think we need a way to share student information for
educational planning."
At Allen County, Bonnie Reavis, administration assistant to the director of the Institutional Resource Center, said she thought the preparation was good but that some community colleges, including Allen County, could offer more classes.
Although administrators at community colleges said that the schools were doing an adequate job, negative ideas about the transfer drop outs or low GPAs still exist. On top of that the state of Kansas was trying to replace the Board of Regents, with a board that would oversee both the community and four-year colleges.
The Regents, the Washburn Board of Regents and local boards across the state have raised questions about how well community colleges are preparing students.
On Jan. 26, Jerry B. Farley,
president of Washburn University,
proposed not to eliminate
the Regents, as the Select Committee on Higher Education had, but to create a super board. Farley suggested that the Regents be modified to govern the state higher education
Farley also said that the amount of funding that the state provided per student to Regents schools was noticeably lower than what it provided per student to Washburn and state community colleges.
The state provides $4,000 to
$5,000 per student to the Regents
universities, but only about
$1,700 per student at community
colleges and $1,600 per student at
Washburn.
Rather than dissolving the Regents, the state has decided to work on the system. Robert V. Talkington. Regents chairman, told the Topeka Capital-Journal "While improvements are necessary, the Kansas system is not in disarray, nor is it operating in a 'horse and buggy' environment."
Talkington also said he thought that valuable time and money would be lost in the transition.
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