A Critical Review of Mathematics in General Chemistry I

Description

A critical review of U.S. standardized mathematics and science testing is presented with comparisons to international results. Secondly, the value of standardized mathematics testing is reviewed in regard to its ability to predict student success in general chemistry I. Thirdly, the Minnesota Mathematics Assessment (MMA) was investigated in a general chemistry II course as a predictor of student success. The student population was composed mainly of juniors and seniors (about 70%) who were mainly STEM majors (70%). The MMA is mainly composed of 20 questions mainly involving logarithms and exponents because these functions are often encountered in general chemistry II which focuses on physical and analytical chemistry. Students averaged 11.0 3.5. The correlation coefficient between course grade and MMA score was 0.33. A new mathematics prerequisite for general chemistry II was then implemented. Student strengths and weaknesses could be probed on the first day of class, allowing for the more focused design of lessons.