My Math GPS: Elementary Algebra Guided Problem Solving - 2016 Edition

Reviewed by Patrick Eggleton, Professor of Mathematics, Taylor University on 3/22/19

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

The text has a very easy to use table of contents that quickly directs you to the different areas studied. The material is fairly comprehensive for a basic algebra course, but is limited in its coverage of quadratics, work with radicals, and work with other functions.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The material was clearly presented and easy to follow.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The text sought to introduce material emphasizing conceptual development as well as procedural skills. Algebraic equations were related to balancing weights on a scale. Signed numbers were connected to debt (for negatives) and income (for positives). As suggested by the book title, the focus is on elementary algebra skills and students are carefully guided through the development of those skills.

Clarity rating: 5

The greatest strength of this text is in its clarity. Problems and skills are carefully presented, providing excellent diagrams and distraction-free organization. While connections within topics is presented it is done succinctly and precisely.

Consistency rating: 5

The text emphasizes connections between ideas. The balancing of weights used to introduce solving equations is revisited when solving equations involving more than one variable. A similar style is used to introduce each new skill.

Modularity rating: 5

The text has easily sectioned topics that can be assigned with individual lessons.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

While some of the topics may be in a different order than seen in other textbooks (for instance, integers following the solving of equations), connections are quickly made between the topics to allow for application of the new skills within the framework of prior skills.

Interface rating: 5

The text is very clear and easy to navigate. Images are clear.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The text is very readable.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

One weakness of the material is lack of context for most of the material. Skills are learned procedurally without being connected to cultural or application contexts.

Comments

The authors of this textbook also created electronic homework that requires a Maple license at the host school. While I was unable to review the electronic homework, the authors seemed willing to make this available with the understanding that the host school would need to use its own Maple license to run the homework. The material provides good structure for basic algebra skills. For a full course of high school algebra, the material should be supplemented with more contextual problems and seek to extend the basics with more challenging problems and topics. The content would be helpful for developmental mathematics courses at the university level where students need a simple, structured delivery to help develop skills.