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Penn State Abington partnership meets government agency’s needs By Karen L. Trimbath
Betsy Huttenlock (second from left), instructor of math at Penn State Abington, teaches the Math Reasoning Program, an in-house training course developed in partnership with the Defense Supply Center in Philadelphia. In this photo, she is joined by some of her students at the center. photo by Theresa Bloom	A group of recently promoted contract specialists employed at the Defense Supply Center in Philadelphia received the analytical math training they need to succeed in their new jobs, thanks to Penn State Abington’s Math Reasoning Program.   The program successfully combined hands-on classroom instruction with technology, and it is also a great model for other companies considering similar in-house training, according to Dr. Jane A. Owens, director of Continuing Education at Penn State Abington; Randy Ingbritsen, continuing education representative; and Betsy Huttenlock, instructor of math, who teaches the course.   “This program is really one of our best partnerships,” Owens said. “It directly benefits our community by educating employees who want to move ahead in their jobs.”   “The evolution of this course has been fascinating to watch,” Ingbritsen added. “The students were excited to be learning new concepts, and they took advantage of opportunities to study outside the classroom.”   Penn State Abington Continuing Education developed the program in partnership with the Defense Supply Center, which is responsible for purchasing medical, food and clothing supplies for the majority of the U.S. military forces. As part of an ongoing shift in the federal government toward adopting the competitive business strategies of the private sector, the agency is winning contracts in other arenas, including the purchasing of food for school lunch programs in many states.   This shift means that some of the agency’s 2,000 employees are being promoted to become contract specialists. This group will make independent business decisions, such as finding the best buys from contractors and analyzing prices, according to Judith Pfander, human resources representative at the agency. Such decision-making requires strong analytical math skills, and while these long-term employees already use math reasoning on the job, they simply needed a refresher course to prepare them for their new responsibilities.   “Our employees needed to brush up on their skills, and Penn State has been wonderful in giving us what we needed,” Pfander said. “We’ve had a good association with the University, which has provided us with in-house undergraduate courses in the evenings.”   Pfander also has high praise for Huttenlock, the program’s instructor.   “Betsy has bent over backwards to help her students become more confident about the skills they already use,” Pfander added.   Huttenlock’s goal as a math instructor is to show students that math, like reading, can be mastered at different levels. She noted most struggles with math are psychological, and it’s never too late to learn more about this subject.   “People came into the class very math phobic, but they left feeling, for the first time, they can do some level of math,” Huttenlock said. “They’re not afraid to try.”   Since January, three sessions have been conducted, with each session tailored to meet each group’s needs. For instance, students enrolled in the first session wanted their course work geared toward the contractual course they were planning on taking. By the third session, students wanted the curriculum to prepare them for a lifetime of math, so Huttenlock stressed percentages, statistics and basic algebra.   An important component of the class is ALEKS, a Web-based math program published by McGraw-Hill. ALEKS is a versatile program that guides students through basic math to college-level algebra. Huttenlock can customize this software by selecting topics, creating lessons and following her students’ progress. ALEKS analyzes students’ weaknesses and assesses their progress in a way that motivates them to succeed.   “This software is a great learning tool for adult learners, because it offers great dignity,” Huttenlock said. “In fact, some students spent so much time with this program that some of the women would joke that they were in love with ALEKS!”   The course definitely changed the students’ attitudes about their ability to perform math — a survey conducted at the end of the class revealed that the majority of students rated the program very highly.   “Betsy is the best!” one student wrote on her survey, while another student added, “The course was absolutely terrific. Ms. Huttenlock was superb. Her techniques and strategy were fantastic, and working with ALEKS was a wonderful experience.” An outreach program of Penn State Abington Continuing Education