Can you solve the following equation? 5 x + 6 = 2 x + 21 
You could if you were a student in the Indiana University high school Independent Study Program course, Mathematics 11A Algebra Level I: First Semester.
The course, one of more than 300 distance education courses offered by the Indiana University School of Continuing Studies, has just received a Meritorious Award from the University Continuing Education Association. This is the 54th course award UCEA has conferred on the school's Independent Study Program.
The course was authored by Rebecca Alano (right), an instructional developer and instructor for the Independent Study Program, and edited by instructional developers Lawrie Hamilton and Rich Hinton. Designed for high school freshmen, the course is open to anyone who has completed pre-algebra. It teaches students the language of algebra and covers the following topics: operations with real numbers; solving equations and inequalities in one variable; and working with ratios, proportions, and percentages.
Becky Alano wrote the course in a friendly and accessible style in hopes of taking some of the mystery out of learning math. "My goal was to get students to approach algebra as a beautiful language that can be translated into something they understand," she said. "Like working a puzzle, algebra can be sorted out and put back together in a way that makes sense to each individual."
Shannon Dillman, chair of the K-12 UCEA Committee, said, "The quality of this year's entries was very high and reflects well on the state of course design and development in the distance learning community."
"This 54th UCEA award once again demonstrates the superior quality of Indiana University 's Independent Study Program distance education courses," said SCS Interim Dean Judy Wertheim. "Ours ranks as one of the largest Independent Study Programs in the nation, with more than 13,600 enrollments annually and more than
100 high school courses and more than 195 undergraduate courses - many of them online."
The University Continuing Education Association will present the award to SCS representatives during the UCEA Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas , April 14-17.
