SPIGOT, Supporting Pedagogical Innovation for a Generation Of Transformation, is providing intensive four-day workshops in Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) in college mathematics. Led by experienced faculty developers and IBL practitioners, the SPIGOT workshops engage about 120 mathematics instructors from diverse institutions, especially early-career faculty, in one of three summer workshops. Workshops prepare instructors to implement research-based, student-centered approaches to teaching and learning. Conference-based mini-workshops serve as an on-ramp to the intensive workshops.
SPIGOT's design is informed by faculty-development literature and experience to address major obstacles to change. It draws upon existing infrastructure of the Academy of Inquiry-Based Learning to support participants' long-term engagement with an active community of practice. As instructors adopt IBL in one or more courses, thousands of students experience potentially transformative mathematics education.
The evaluation-with-research study is gathering data on faculty response to the workshops and aspects of their local context that help or hinder implementation of an IBL course. Such data offer formative feedback to the workshop leaders and add to knowledge about how best to encourage faculty uptake of these proven methods. Dissemination of the study findings will target both mathematics educators and the broader STEM education community.
