Results of the 2011 Pre-VMATYC Conference Survey

In September 2010, the math and computer science peer group conducted a survey to obtain member input for the upcoming VMATYC conference to be held in March 2011. The survey was distributed by e-mail to all mathematics and computer science faculty throughout the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). Note that this survey included faculty members who are not VMATYC members and did not include VMATYC members who are not in the VCCS. 42 faculty members responded. Of these, 31 (almost 80%) were full-time faculty members and 8 (just over 20%) were adjunct faculty members. 33 (89%) of the respondents were mathematics faculty; 4 (11%) were computer science. Some results from the survey are given below.

One part of the survey had respondents identify the percentage of programming for the conference that they thought should be spent on the following categories listed in the table below. The average percentage for each of the categories, based on 35 usable respondent responses, is given below, listed in order of highest to lowest percentage.

Developmental Math Redesign Team (DMRT) update: 19.3%
General teaching pedagogy: 14.6%
Technology for teaching or work: 10.0%
General mathematics: statistics, college algebra, liberal arts: 9.7%
General developmental math topics: 9.4%
Interaction time with colleagues/vendors: 9.0%
Mathematics for science/business: calculus track: 7.9%
Computer science: 7.4%
Online homework: 5.9%
Adjunct faculty: 2.9%
Career advancement/leadership: 2.9%
TOTAL: 99.0%

A listing of topics within each category that respondents wanted to see addressed during the conference follows. At the end of the listings for each category are a list of other topics that respondents would like the conference to address.

Developmental Math Redesign Team (DMRT) update:
How do we handle students that cannot keep up with the 3 week structure pace?
Readiness of high school students
Scheduling faculty teaching with 1 unit modules
Ideas on implementing
Current status, how it will be implemented, do we have autonomy in implementing?
Implementation, assessment
Implementation ideas
Issues of implementation
Math topics included in the new program
Where does it stand at that point, VCCS administration available for Q & A

General teaching pedagogy:
Dealing with students who are not ready for college
Use of technology
Math Education
Teaching tips, new techniques, etc.
Traditional lecture format vs. emporium or other models
Best practices for teaching programming.
Significance of math in history
Transfer from two-year college to university

Technology for teaching or work:
Adobe Connect or similar software, online teaching tools
Online materials for csc courses
Teaching math in Blackboard
Demos / suggestions of use
Innovative ideas
Tablet PC vs. smartboard, MyMathLab
Blackboard collaboration tools
Tablet PC's, Adobe Connect
Media computation, Mobile development
Blackboard--Easy instructions
Distance learning, mathematics

General mathematics: statistics, college algebra, liberal arts:
What is going on with MTH 4 and MTH 158?
Liberal arts topics
Any from statistics
Engaging students
Statistics
History of mathematics

General developmental math topics:
Online delivery methods
Motivating developmental students
Activities to involve students in learning
Basic arithmetic

Mathematics for science/business: calculus track:
Teaching methods
Methods?
Real applications
New teaching approaches

Computer science:
First year languages, objects early or late,IDEs, transfer issues, csc courses
Teaching online? media computation. choice of prog. lang.
ACM curriculum updates
Discrete math, Artificial Intelligence

Online homework:
How is it counted toward the grade?
Effectiveness, how to implement
Problems with using graphing calculator with online homework
Does it help success?
Online homework / online teaching
What's available and how people are using it
Web Assign, ALEKS
How to submit big files without Blackboard

Adjunct faculty:
Better integration
Providing training for adjuncts

Career advancement/leadership:
How to get grants

Other topics:
I've seen high school graduates this semester who passed pre-calculus courses in their high school and who do not test into college level courses. Perhaps more partnering with high school math teachers could be a topic or something to help with this problem since computer science depends on math readiness.
I would like to see more CS related sessions. I've planned to attend VMATYC in the past, but when I see maybe 1 CS session it's hard to justify the time and money. I know that people in the past have tried to generate interest.
Tools for teaching that other faculty might be using.
ACM Curriculum changes, transfer agreements to universities

Two other questions that respondents were also asked, and their responses, are given below.
What should be the theme of this year's conference?
"How math people deal with conflicting viewpoints" ???
Championing the cause of Mathematics
Changing with the Tide
Student readiness for college level courses
Redesigning Math from the Foundation
Developing Mathematics
Teaching and Learning through the Lenses of Technology
Surfing to Success in Mathematics
Streamlining development to focus on teaching

What has been your favorite aspect of past peer group meetings?
Door prizes :-)
Supportive interaction with peers who deal with the same issues
This is going to be my first ever meeting in with the group.
Peer discussions and finding out what other schools are doing....general chat sessions
Sharing info about courses, policies, etc. with colleagues throughout the VCCS.
I have attended a few VMATYC meetings and conducted round tables for computer science instructors that were not well-attended. I have never attended a math or IT peer group meeting.
Meeting people and making contacts
Peer interaction
A chance to speaker with the speakers
Time to connect with other faculty
Meeting and greeting other faculty
Meeting with peers; exchanging teaching ideas
Seeing peers from other schools
Seeing what colleagues are doing. Getting information from vendors and publishers.
Informal interaction with colleagues is usually my favorite aspect.
I haven't been to a peer group meeting yet.
Informal gatherings
Meeting other colleagues from around the state. Networking.
Interaction time; good presentations
Networking, learning the new teaching tools, internet resources
sharing with colleagues
Meeting and talking with my peers to find out what they are doing.
Haven't attended
Talking with other faculty who are teaching same courses for ideas.
Interesting Workshops, Meeting faculty from other campuses

Thank you to those who participated in the survey. A special thanks also goes to the VCCS Office of Professional Development for administering and collating the results of the survey. Some of the responses above provide some interesting "food for thought". While every respondent's comments and suggestions will not be used in the upcoming 2011 conference, some of the ideas may be used in future conferences. Perhaps the best part of the conducting the survey is just hearing what other VCCS math and computer science faculty members have to say. We will have pre-conference surveys in the future, so if you have any thoughts or comments about the results of the survey or what might be deleted from, included in, or changed on the questionnaire in the future, please e-mail John Gallo at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .