A Study of the Effects of Early Remediation in Prerequisite Material in a Calculus I Course

Success in Calculus I is almost impossible without strong algebra and trigonometry skills. However, many students arrive in Calculus I either weak or rusty in these areas. Furthermore, it is difficult for the students to improve their algebra and trigonometric skills over the course of the semester while trying to apply them to the new calculus concepts. With Calculus I being such an important gateway course into engineering fields, finding ways to address this problem seems essential to recruiting and retaining engineering students. In this paper, the author describes an approach to early remediation in prerequisite material in a Calculus I course at a polytechnic institution. Preliminary results are presented regarding the success of this approach, including a comparison of course grades to comparable groups, student feedback, and instructor observations.