About the Self-Paced program

The DVC Math Self-Paced program lets you learn math at your own pace. Instead of regularly scheduled lectures, you learn the math assisted by a variety of resources: the instructor and aides (who spend class time answering one-on-one questions), the textbook, and an interactive online math program which lets you repeat homework and quizzes until you have mastered the material, with explanations, sample worked problems, videos, powerpoints and animations to help you. Once you have demonstrated mastery of a set of material (including an in-class written exam), you move on to the next set of material. 

For more detailed information on the program, please go to the Diablo Valley College - Math Department - Self-Paced Math Program webpage.

New program in Fall 2009

Some of the most significant changes will be:

• The interactive online math program will switch from MyMathLab to ALEKS, http://www.ALEKS.com.
• Students may use any textbook currently in use in a DVC lecture or online math class. Thus if you transfer from a lecture class or an online class to an SP class, you do not have to buy a new textbook. You will, however, need to purchase access to ALEKS, which is $89 for one year.
• ALEKS is a program that is designed to assess what you already know, and start teaching you at the 'boundary' of your knowledge, so you can move directly to the material you need to learn.
• Students will no longer be able to adjust units at the end of the semester. Students must complete a minimum of one unit of work by the end of the semester. Students who do not complete one unit of work by the end of the semester must drop the class by the standard dates for semester-length classes, or else risk receiving a failing grade.
• Students will not get any credit for the SP class until they have completed all 4 units. In the meantime, in each semester where they complete some but not all of the units of the class, they will instead receive 4 units of an Alternate Credit class; this represents progress towards a goal but does not satisfy any degree, certificate or prerequisite requirements.
• Students will attend scheduled class for 3 hrs/week, and do independent lab (Hours-by-arrangement) work for 4 hrs/week, some of which will also be scheduled on an individual basis according to the student's schedule. Students from one section are welcome to visit any other section for assistance in completing labwork and taking exams.
• All sections of SP will contain students from all 4 SP classes (75SP, 110SP, 120SP, and 135SP). In Fall 2009 all students will have 6 sections to choose from when scheduling their classes.
• The classrooms located in the math lab, LC200C and LC200B, will be joined to house the program

Message for Continuing SP students

A "continuing SP student" is defined as a student who has already completed some work in a course but has not finished all 4 units. If you are currently a continuing SP student, you must complete your coursework by the end of Summer 2009. If you do not complete your coursework by then, you will be required to start over  in the new program in Fall 2009. However, the new online math software, ALEKS, will give you the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of the material you have already learned and thus move quickly onto the material you still need to learn.

Hours-by-arrangement

Each SP course has a required 4 hours-by-arrangement (HBA) per week. Attendance at the Math Lab no longer fulfills the HBA requirement for these course.

Instead of Math Lab attendance, there will be additional math department-administrated HBA assignments on the ALEKS website that you will be required to complete.

The Math Lab provides many valuable tutoring services; both drop-in and by-appointment.