Does college prepare you with the skills needed in the workforce?
A big factor in ensuring that
students graduate with the skills
employers are looking for is to ensure
that they are entering into the
appropriate courses that match their
skill level.
In the fall of 2015, Fanshawe implemented a math assessment test for students entering General Arts and Science programs.
This assessment was created to get a better sense of the mathematical skill level students had upon entering college to ensure that they chose the correct class level.
Mathematic classes are divided into four levels at Fanshawe.
The first level involves decimals, fractions and algebra and students are not allowed to use a calculator.
The second level goes into trigonometry, statistics, graphing and finance and students are permitted to use calculators.
The last two levels involve calculus vectors and advance functions.
Erin Kox, a co-ordinator in General Arts and Science as well as a professor of mathematics at Fanshawe, explained that students take the math placement test online before enrolling in classes.
The assessment tests all of the skills taught in the level one course. If students pass the test then they do not need to take the level one course and are able to start in the second level.
All General Arts and Science students must complete the second level math course in order to take the third and fourth course.
Kox described what led to implementation of this assessment.
“In the past it was completely optional which course [students] took. A lot of students needed the level three and four courses and would go directly into them. They did not have the skills they needed for it and didn’t find that out until it was too late for them to get into the level one or even the level two courses. We decided that we needed something to help them figure out where to start.”
Tracey Gedies, the director for the Centre for Academic Excellence noted that Fanshawe did something similar with the WRIT a number of years ago.
“That is why so many programs now have WRIT and you can either test in and out and then go onto the [communications course].”
Gedies described WRIT as a comprehension type of assessment. Once completed, a number of reviewers from the faculty of language and liberal studies will review your writing.
“They will tell you that you either test out of WRIT or you must stay in. If you test out then you go directly to the communication course which is the next level up and has a more vocational application to it.”
Both of these skills assessment tests are ways that Fanshawe is working to ensure student success by helping guide students into courses that will best build the soft skills necessary in the work force.
Kox believes in the success of the math placement test and advocates for its implementation across the college just like the WRIT assessment.
“If we could expand it across the college, I think it would benefit everyone because numeracy and literacy skills is the big issue.”
In the fall of 2015, Fanshawe implemented a math assessment test for students entering General Arts and Science programs.
This assessment was created to get a better sense of the mathematical skill level students had upon entering college to ensure that they chose the correct class level.
Mathematic classes are divided into four levels at Fanshawe.
The first level involves decimals, fractions and algebra and students are not allowed to use a calculator.
The second level goes into trigonometry, statistics, graphing and finance and students are permitted to use calculators.
The last two levels involve calculus vectors and advance functions.
Erin Kox, a co-ordinator in General Arts and Science as well as a professor of mathematics at Fanshawe, explained that students take the math placement test online before enrolling in classes.
The assessment tests all of the skills taught in the level one course. If students pass the test then they do not need to take the level one course and are able to start in the second level.
All General Arts and Science students must complete the second level math course in order to take the third and fourth course.
Kox described what led to implementation of this assessment.
“In the past it was completely optional which course [students] took. A lot of students needed the level three and four courses and would go directly into them. They did not have the skills they needed for it and didn’t find that out until it was too late for them to get into the level one or even the level two courses. We decided that we needed something to help them figure out where to start.”
Tracey Gedies, the director for the Centre for Academic Excellence noted that Fanshawe did something similar with the WRIT a number of years ago.
“That is why so many programs now have WRIT and you can either test in and out and then go onto the [communications course].”
Gedies described WRIT as a comprehension type of assessment. Once completed, a number of reviewers from the faculty of language and liberal studies will review your writing.
“They will tell you that you either test out of WRIT or you must stay in. If you test out then you go directly to the communication course which is the next level up and has a more vocational application to it.”
Both of these skills assessment tests are ways that Fanshawe is working to ensure student success by helping guide students into courses that will best build the soft skills necessary in the work force.
Kox believes in the success of the math placement test and advocates for its implementation across the college just like the WRIT assessment.
“If we could expand it across the college, I think it would benefit everyone because numeracy and literacy skills is the big issue.”
