Featured on the League iStream e-newsletter October 2010
Hawkes Learning Systems’ unique approach to mastery learning motivates students
to excel in math. The software provides students with interactive instruction,
step-by-step tutorials, unlimited practice, error-specific feedback for incorrect
answers, and mastery-based homework assignments. In addition, instructors receive
a comprehensive online grade book, test generator, and content editor to
help streamline and simplify course management.
Hawkes is being used in mathematics courses at community colleges and universities
all across the country. Spoon River College is one such school that has implemented
Hawkes in their developmental math program with great results. Instructor Jim Sheff
compiled results in a case study showing just how effective Hawkes Learning Systems
has proven to be.
Since using Hawkes, the school has seen improvement in student grades, and a decrease
in the number of student withdrawals. Seventy-four percent of students completed every
homework assignment and passing rates were as high as 93 percent in some courses.
According to Sheff, “Only 3.3 percent of the students received a final grade of ‘D’.
The number of Ds is significant to me because it tells me how many students got left
behind. With Hawkes Learning Systems, a student has to work for a grade of ‘D’. Since
there are very few of them, it is safe to say that the students who work diligently
have an extremely high likelihood of passing with a C or better.”
There are many reasons behind these remarkable results. First and foremost, Sheff
credits the instructors: “I believe that the current staff that is teaching
developmental mathematics at SRC is the reason that this system is proving
successful and will hopefully stay successful. Hawkes Learning Systems is the
means that we are using that allows us to be consistent graders and hold our
students to standards far higher than they may even have realized they can
achieve. To have 74 percent of your students complete every homework
assignment is saying a lot, but that number is even more phenomenal
when you consider that that number is accounting for every
developmental mathematics student on every campus.”
So what makes Hawkes such a valuable tool? Students are given unlimited
practice, error-specific feedback, and mastery-based homework. Also,
the easy-to-use software is the only program available that is capable of
working both with and without internet access, eliminating technical concerns
such as connectivity issues. This allows students to have access at all times
in order to complete assignments or simply practice.
Questions in the software are algorithmically generated; students never
see the same question over again, allowing for truly unlimited practice.
Students don’t just memorize answers to questions, they have to actually
learn the material and understand it in order to get it right and move on.
Immediate feedback though artificial intelligence shows students what
they have done wrong and exactly how to learn from their mistake.
Many students using the Hawkes Learning Systems’ software at SRC enjoy this
system much more than traditional style math courses. The software provides
students with easy navigation and instant grading, and they can work at
their own pace. Many say that they learn the material quicker and retain
the information better than in the past with traditional classes. “Study,
use the tutor button, and practice often,” one student from SRC said. “Hawkes
helps you understand math better.” In fact, 97 percent of the students
who did all of the Hawkes certifications (homework) received a C or better in the class.
Spoon River College has combined Hawkes Learning Systems with
dedicated instructors to not only make grades go up, but also
help students truly understand the material.
To learn more about SRC’s math program, contact Jim Sheff at
jim.sheff@src.edu.