EDSC 122 Algebra Remediation

What kind of problem did the students face when they answered [(a+b)/b=a]

• Nothing. It is correct

• They simplified the term, not the factor

• They should have factored out 'a' instead

• It should have been 'a+1'

What kind of problem did the students face when they answered '-3' and '4' in [sqrt(x+12)=x]

• Nothing. It is correct

• It should have been '-4' and '3'

• They failed to check for extraneous solutions

• They distributed the exponent incorrectly

What kind of problem did the students face when they answered 'x=2' & 'x=-3' in [x^2 + 3x = -2]

• Nothing. It is correct

• They solved without equating to zero

• They factored without the negative sign

• They failed to derive the formula correctly

What kind of problem did the student face when they answered '(a^2+b^2)' when asked [(a+b)^2]?

• Nothing. It is correct

• They failed to put like terms together

• They used the incorrect formula

• They did not expand the equation to solve

What problem did the student face when they answered '7' & '9' in the problem [x + x= 16]?

• Nothing. It is correct

• They should have answered "All Natural Numbers" or "All Positive Integers"

• They failed to understand that variables are not the same as blanks

• They failed to consider that different variables can sometimes share the same values.

Why do you think students chose to skip the math problem [x^2 + xy + 10 + 2y - 3x^2 - xy - y + 39 - y +1]?

• The teacher wrote the problem wrong

• They did not find it practical

• They overlooked the problem

• They did not notice the like terms to reduce

What problem do you think the students faced in answering '-7' in [-3 + -4]?

• Nothing. It is correct

• They are under the impression that negative plus negative is positive

• They failed to distribute the terms with the negative sign

• The problem should have been simplified further

How do you think understanding the students' misconceptions and incorrect thought processes would help you teach Algebra better? (Answer in under 4 sentences)