Content and Connections: Students' Responses to a Hybrid Emporium Instructional Model in Developmental Mathematics. A CAPR Working Paper

Innovation in instructional technology has contributed to the rapid implementation of technology-driven instructional platforms, particularly in developmental math coursework. Prior research has shown that instructional environment and classroom experience influence student development and outcomes. Consequently, when courses transition to technology-driven instruction, a logical concern on the part of faculty and administrators is the effect on the quality of the academic experience among students. Under a hybrid emporium model, students primarily receive instruction from a computer-based platform rather than from a faculty member delivering content in front of the classroom. This paper examines how students experience a newly adopted, hybrid emporium model for developmental math coursework. We conducted focus groups with students at six public colleges in Tennessee and find that students enrolled in hybrid emporium developmental math courses reported that the instructional model contributes to lowered barriers to math by increasing cognitive and social accessibility. In spite of prior academic challenges, students perceived math content and their faculty to be more accessible in the computer-driven model than in traditional lecture classes. We discuss these findings in light of recent research suggesting technology-driven instruction does not improve math performance.