Time Well Spent: An Examination of the Relationship Between Time Spent on Hawkes and Elevated Pass Rates at South College

Highlights & Overview:

• MAT2501 showed a 20% increase in the number of students that passed the course YoY, MAT1100 exhibited a 21% increase YoY, and MAT1000 maintained a consistent 83% pass rate. 
• Students who passed MAT1100 and MAT2501 spent an average of 2,097 minutes in Learn, Practice, and Certify – an average of 210 minutes per week, or 30 minutes per day, across the 10-week semester. 
• Students who passed MAT1000 spent an average of 962 minutes in Learn, Practice, and Certify – an average of 192 minutes per week, or 27 minutes per day, across the 5-week course. 

This study analyzes South College professor Chris Garner’s experience using Hawkes Learning’s course materials. It specifically examines Professor Garner’s course data across three courses– Mathematical Concepts and Applications (MAT1000), College Algebra (MAT1100), and Statistics (MAT2501)–emphasizing pass/fail and the relationship between these grades and students’ time invested in Hawkes Learning’s student software.

Background

South College initiated a pilot program for courseware in Spring 2021, with Hawkes Learning’s Beginning Statistics. This successful pilot, marked by steady growth and consistent passing rates in Beginning Statistics courses, led to the adoption of three Hawkes titles across the math department at South College in Fall 2021: Beginning Statistics, Introductory & Intermediate Algebra, and Preparation for College Mathematics.  

In the context of this study, students earning letter grades of A, B, or C are considered to have passed, whereas those receiving a grade of D or F are classified as failed. 

A, B, C Rate Comparison

Statistics (MAT2501) 
Hawkes Product Used: 3^rd Edition Beginning Statistics 

As illustrated in the chart above, Garner’s MAT2501 section exhibited a remarkable 20% rise in the number of students passing year over year (YoY) (21-22 vs 22-23 academic years) following the adoption of Hawkes. This increase not only reflects a continuous upward trend in the number of passing students but also demonstrates consistent growth among his students. 

College Algebra (MAT1100) 
Hawkes Product Used: Introductory & Intermediate Algebra 

Likewise, we observed consistent success and growth in the total number of students passing Garner’s MAT1100 course with the integration of Hawkes courseware. From the academic year 21-22 to 22-23, there was a 21% increase in the number of students passing YoY. 

Mathematical Concepts and Applications (MAT1000) 
Hawkes Product Used: 2^nd Edition, Preparation for College Mathematics  

This course’s analysis involves a considerably smaller enrollment size compared to Garner’s higher-level courses, featuring only 87 and 40 students in each respective academic year. Evaluating this data from a holistic perspective from adoption through the Fall 2023 term indicates a consistent 83% pass rate among all students in this developmental-level course.

Investigating Time Spent 

When investigating trends in student performance as it relates to *time spent in the courseware, the data reveals a direct relationship between the time spent in the Learn and Practice modes and pass rates. 

Notably, students who received failing grades (D or F) generally invested significantly less time in the software compared to their successful counterparts, underscoring the proven pedagogical design of our 3-step approach to mastery; when ample time is dedicated to genuine engagement and practice with the course material, students generally exhibit increased understanding and retention of course content, and subsequently, higher final grades, as demonstrated in the chart below. 

South College’s partnership with Hawkes Learning has resulted in sustained success and improved passing rates. The strategic adoption of Beginning Statistics, Introductory and Intermediate Algebra, and Preparation for College Mathematics, coupled with an emphasis on students spending more time in Learn and Practice, has proven to be a successful formula for student success as determined by their final grades. This study suggests that Hawkes’ mastery-based courseware, focusing on student engagement and time investment, can yield significant improvements in academic outcomes.  

*“Time spent” is measured by the duration a particular page in Learn or Practice remains on the screen, which may not precisely reflect the actual time spent interacting with the content. This variable is presumed to account for outliers in the chart, where some students exhibit high recorded ‘time spent’ without achieving the expected rate of success.