Mathematics (21) This collaborative project addresses a problem that occurs in many mathematics and mathematics-related courses at the university-level across the US: high failure rates in important early college mathematics courses, especially in Calculus I. The teaching strategy being used and tested is based on the idea of using Enhanced Conceptual Development through Focused Oral Discourse, or Orals. The current work is analyzing and extending earlier work that has been focused on helping students identified as at risk of failing calculus. Based on the earlier success of reducing failure rates using effective teaching strategies, including Orals, the project team is now applying these teaching strategies to diverse users in several new settings: to classes taught in different STEM (science, technology engineering, and mathematics) departments, at a different college, and at different educational levels.
The goals of this project are to: 1) Refine, implement, and test Orals with diverse groups of learners and in diverse education settings; 2) Provide training, coaching and evaluation for facilitators of Orals including Instructors, Teaching Assistants and Undergraduate Learning Assistants; 3) Provide extensive assessment artifacts of the implementations; 4) Create a database and website of new learning materials (Orals questions for diverse courses); and 5) Improve the retention and understanding of STEM students.
Intellectual Merit: The importance of discourse in the mathematical sciences classroom has already been shown for K-12. A potentially important impact of this proposal will be to contribute to the national dialogue by conducting careful experiments that assess one method of increasing discourse: Orals. In particular, the project team will conduct proof of concept studies of Orals, in moving from small classrooms (the original setting) to large lecture sections.
Broader Impact: Many STEM majors require successful completion of a calculus sequence; however, many university students do not achieve their career goals because of their inability to pass the introductory calculus courses. This project will address this important national issue. The new work will not only be in a larger variety of mathematics courses, but also in introductory Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering courses, and at a local high school in a two-year algebra course.
