811 Evaluation of Learning Material in MERLOT

I evaluated the online Applied Finite Mathematics textbook, which was submitted by Judy Baker as a resource on MERLOT. Each chapter of the textbook is subdivided into notes and examples (downloadable as a Word document) and a homework set (also downloadable as a Word document). I had an opportunity to review the first two chapters (Linear Equations and Matrices), which included valid and educationally significant concepts, models, and skills for an advanced math course. I selected this resource on MERLOT because over the course of this summer, I will be preparing lessons for a new remedial math course that I will be teaching in the fall for students who need an alternative to Algebra II.

The lesson notes in the online textbook would be utilized at the beginning of a new chapter to introduce new objectives and mathematical concepts (explanation stage); however, due to the “textbook” nature of the notes, other then for examples, I don’t necessarily think this mode of sharing new information will benefit the students in the course. The students who are enrolled in my Applied Math class this fall have already shown a need for more hands-on, interactive learning due to their non-traditional learning styles. Although, I do see myself using simpler examples and possible homework sets in my class. For instance, the first chapter’s objectives state that after the lesson, students will be able to: graph a linear equation, find the slope of a line, determine an equation of a line, solve linear systems, and do application problems using linear equations. Though these ideas are introduced in Algebra I, the first weeks of the course will be focused on reviewing these and other concepts from previous math classes. The latter chapters of this online textbook seem to cover more complex concepts (Chapter 2 already introduces matrices!), which will be too advanced for my students; however, as mentioned before, I do see myself reviewing the notes and homework sets and pulling pertinent information that I can use for this class.

The format of the online textbook is easy to use with a menu bar on the left that has a link to each separate chapter. Additionally, the website provides several options for downloads (Word doc, pdf, etc.), which is beneficial to both teachers and students using the resource. I also like that there are practice exams and solutions to problem sets, which can be used as additional resources for those students who feel they could benefit from them. Overall, the notes seem straight to the point (though the topics themselves, as mentioned before, appear too advanced for the course I’m teaching). Additionally, there is a forum for feedback and questions which aids in direct communication for both teachers and students who use the website. I will definitely use this online textbook as a resource as I continue to plan for the new Applied Math course this fall.