- Year 2017
- NSF Noyce Award # 1557211
- First Name Carol
- Last Name Johnston
- Discipline Math
- Co-PI(s)
Joshua Helston, Mount Saint Mary’s University, jhelston@msmu.edu
- Presenters
Joshua Helston, Mount Saint Mary’s University, jhelston@msmu.edu
Need
This project serves a dual purpose. First, some common core teaching techniques were applied to upper-division mathematical content. This benefits new teachers by modeling how to transmit information to their students with material that was recently learned in their mathematical journey. Secondly, the project provided a summary and synthesis of multiple upper-division mathematics courses. This benefits recent graduates preparing for credentialing exams. .
Goals
The ultimate goal of this project was provide a class that would synthesize the different mathematics that students learned in their coursework. Most class periods centered on a familiar high school mathematics concept, which was then connected to a more recently learned upper division concept. The activities connecting these concepts were developed with student experience in mind.
Approach
One instructor would present a familiar high school concept through an insightful inquiry based lesson. After half the class time passed another instructor would take the concept and abstract it a related upper-division mathematical concept trying to use similar strategies for student discovery.
Outcomes
This was the first pilot for the project. Based on student feedback and instructor experiences there were some successes and many opportunities for improvement. The course content, descriptions, and lesson plans will be modified based on what was learned. Student feedback was generally positive but sample size was too small to run any meaningful statistical analysis.
Broader Impacts
Students participating in the project self-reported that they had stronger understanding of upper-division mathematics and described plans of actions for studying for credentialing exams. Students positively reviewed the techniques used and will ideally carry the inspiration into their classrooms impacting the next generation of mathematics learners.
