Since the semester began, over 100 students have already visited the math tutorial lab to get help in their courses, and lab coordinator Susan Saale said enrollment will only increase.
“During the start of the semester, most math classes cover basic information, so students may not need help in the beginning,” Saale said. “However, as the semester progresses, the material builds and becomes more intricate, students realize how imperative it is to receive help if they are having difficulty.”
Located in B-39 Allen Hall, and in operation for more than ten years, the math lab is the oldest tutorial on LSU’s campus said Saale.
“The overall mission of the math lab is help students succeed academically in math courses and transform them into independent learners.”
Saale compared the math lab to a dentist’s office.
“The dentist corrects dental problems, but he also teaches his patients how to take better care of their teeth, so that one day they no longer need to visit the office.”
Rachel Spinner, a sociology sophomore, said she has sought help in the math lab last year for 1021 and this year for 1029 because the tutors are patient and understand the material. “I like knowing that I can go somewhere outside of class and get help from someone who sincerely wants to help you.”
Saale said many students, especially those with math-intensive majors such as engineering, return to the lab. “If the lab is helpful to them, they will come back,” she said.
While the lab offers help at every course level, the most popular course students seek help with is 1021. Saale said this is because most majors require students to take college algebra, and those students whose majors do not require them to take algebra still use it to satisfy half of the analytical reasoning general education requirement.
Stephanie Kurtz, a math professor, teaches primarily freshman and sophomore level math course. She has been teaching at LSU for the last seven years and every semester recommends the lab to her students.
“It’s hard to say whether the lab is beneficial to all students who seek help,” she said. “However, I have seen individual students in my classes dramatically improve their performance and grades after seeking help in the lab, especially if they continue to go.”
Rob Rioux, a math professor who teaches upper-level math courses, said he recommends the math lab to students but has received mixed reactions about it.
“One of the reasons some of students feel that they haven’t received help is because the teaching style of the tutors may not match the learning style of the students,” he said.
Becky Lefebvre, a math and physics freshman and a lab tutor, said one way students combat this problem is by asking other students sitting at the table with them.
“Each table is designated by course so when the students come in and sit down they often discuss problems between themselves.”
Saale said this also helps students learn the material. “When a student explains to another student how to complete a problem, they are reinforcing their own understanding of the concept,” she said
Saale said each Friday when the lab closes, the tutors have a meeting and discuss problems they had during the week and make suggestions on how to solve these problems so that the lab can run more efficiently.
“We are here for the students and want to offer them best help possible,” Saale said.