PPC PROGRAM and ALEKS
MATH WORKSHOP
The PPC (Pre-pre-calculus) program is the component of the
Math Workshop which reviews
your high school algebra in order to bring you
up to the level needed for your required or desired M and Q classes.
This requirement can be met by completing an on-line math program "ALEKS," (an acronym for "Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces"). ALEKS is a web-based program for the assessment and individualized teaching of mathematics for the purpose of raising your Wittenberg University math placement score to a level 22, 23 or 24.
ALEKS is the new way to learn math on the World-Wide-Web. By knowing exactly which math concepts the student has mastered, which are shaky, and which are new but within reach, ALEKS enables the student to work on those concepts the student is most ready to learn. ALEKS is a full-time automated tutor, including explanations, practice and feedback. ALEKS closely interacts with the student, continuously updating its precise map of the student's knowledge state. ALEKS combines the advantages of one-on-one instruction and evaluation with the convenience of being on-call, on your computer, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To learn more about ALEKS, please visit http://www.aleks.about
Math Placement Levels
Level
22 (MA)- Minimum needed for all M courses
Level 23 (MS)- Needed for algebra based statistics courses
Level 24 (PhD)- Needed for Math 120, Elementary Functions
Then follow these steps:
NOTE: Your first time into the ALEKS system must be done in the Math Workshop. When you return to the Math Workshop, meet with Kathy Johnson, the coordinator, and she will direct you to a head tutor who will then assist you in the following steps:
1.
Go to the web address
http://www.aleks.com
2. This is the home page. In the upper right hand corner of the
screen, click on "Register with ALEKS"
(first time users).
3. Under "For Students", click on REGISTER
4. At the end of this very long paragraph, click on
I ACCEPT
5. At the beginning of registration, you will be asked for your
Access Code. It is on a sticker inside the
back cover of your booklet. This access code is good for only
18 weeks
from the time you register. Enter the access code in the spaces provided
and click on “Next.”
6. There are 4 sections
listed for you to complete. It is essential that you allow yourself at
least an hour
to complete the Registration, Tutorial and the Assessment.
7. Near the conclusion of the Registration, you will receive a
login name and password, with an option to
change the password assigned to you. Every time you
log on from the ALEKS website you will enter the
Login Name and Password provided at this
registration. These should be noted carefully as they will be essential for
all further work with ALEKS. If by some chance you
lose your Login Name or Password, contact your instructor.
8. Following registration you will be asked for your Course Code. The course code is given to you by the Math Workshop. You will receive a course code based the math placement level of 22, 23 or 24. Enter this in the spaces provided and click on “Next.”
9. After registration,
you will enter a brief Tutorial on the use
of the ALEKS input tools, called the "Answer
Editor." This is intended to show you how to input your answers.
10. You will directly proceed from the Tutorial to your first
Assessment. You will need to have paper
and pencil on hand in order to answer the open-ended problems (no
multiple-choice). This initial assessment is adaptive and variable in
length. Some of you will have very short assessments whereas others will
have assessments that are considerably longer. This assessment is to
determine where you should start and it will show what areas of knowledge
you already know and what areas you will need to work on. It is extremely
important that you answer truthfully and honestly, and if you don't know the
answer, click on the key "I don't know."
11. At the conclusion of the assessment, you will be given a brief
Tutorial on how to interpret the Assessment Report.
This will be in the form of one or more color-coded pie charts with
explanations. Please ask a tutor if help is needed in
evaluating your assessment.
12. You can then enter the Learning Mode by
clicking on one of the topics contained in your pie chart (topics you are
"ready to learn"). In the Learning Mode, you will be required to solve an
appropriate number of practice problems correctly before the system will
conclude that the concept has been mastered. The Learning Mode will provide
you with many resources to help you in mastering a particular concept, which
includes explanations, practice problems, feedback on problem solutions and
access to a student Mathematical Dictionary. (NOTE:
feel free to ask any math tutor working
here for additional assistance.) As you master
topics, you will begin to "add concepts to your pie."
13. You will continue to work in the Learning Mode until you are
requested to complete a
progress assessment.
These assessments are
automatically prompted by ALEKS when you have spent sufficient time in the
Learning Mode or when you have made adequate progress.
14. You can end a session with ALEKS in
either of two ways: 1) Click on the "Exit"
button in the upper left-hand corner of your browser window or 2) simply
close the window in one of the ways provided by your browser. Note, if no
input is supplied to the system for 15 minutes, the session will
automatically terminate. No matter which way you exit, ALEKS will return
you to the same place when you next log on.
15. When you have covered 100% of the material, you will be required to complete
the final assessment, called the Goal Completion Assessment, in the Math
Workshop.
16. Once you have completed ALEKS and attained an 80% on the final assessment, your score will manually be changed to reflect your achieved math placement level.
Remember this: It is highly suggested that you schedule time for ALEKS as you would a class. Since the access code is only valid for 18 weeks, spend at least 3 to 5 hours on it per week. You are more than welcome to use the Math Workshop to schedule time and work on ALEKS here. This is extremely advantageous due to the tutors that are always available for your assistance. If your ALEKS account expires and you would like your account extended, please contact Kathy Johnson, the coordinator, and she can assist you will this process.