CHATTANOOGA, TN -- Chattanooga State Community College mathematics professors in May were recognized with a D2L Excellence Award for redesigning introductory statistics courses to increase student success rates. 

To better equip students for success, professors created a semester-long pilot program in which they incorporated several tactics to make learning more accessible and affordable. Among them was the introduction of Open Educational Resources (OER), which make learning materials like textbooks and online tools free or cost-reduced for students and accessible from the first day of class. 

“We wanted to create a learning experience that was not only engaging but also accessible to all students,” said Dr. Anita Polk-Conley, professor of mathematics. “By integrating OER into our curriculum, we were able to provide high-quality resources at no cost to students, removing financial barriers to education.” 

The Tennessee Board of Regents found that more than 65 percent of students do not purchase textbooks for college courses, leading many to drop courses or fail. 

The pilot classes incorporated Embedded Learning Assistants: tutors who are available to students both during classes and outside of the classroom to answer questions and help students prepare for exams. In addition, professors redesigned lessons around real-world projects to make them easier to understand and apply. 

“Incorporating custom Excel templates into...course modules fostered an interactive experience and active engagement with statistics in health, social issues, and business,” said Harsh Patel, associate professor. “This encouraged students to conduct hands-on data analysis using real-world datasets relevant to their future careers and lives.” 

The result of the pilot was an across-the-board increase in student success rates.  

“We saw students struggling to engage with the material and achieve success in Introductory Statistics,” said April Crenshaw, associate professor. “It was evident that traditional approaches were not meeting the diverse needs of our math students.” 

College President Dr. Rebecca Ashford said the D2L 2024 Excellence Award highlights both the hard work of college faculty and the importance of innovation in delivering college-level education. 

“I commend our faculty for their innovative approach to redesigning Introductory Statistics," Dr. Ashford said. "By leveraging [online course modules] and OER, they have empowered our students to succeed academically and to thrive in their educational journeys.”