Intellectual Merit: Many entry-level (pre-calculus and calculus) mathematics courses are not meeting the needs of the students. Indeed, the proposed activities have been deemed urgently needed by teams of educators working on the preparation for calculus. For example: (a) introductory mathematical skills are seldom taught within a context of significant interest to the students; (b) students rarely have the opportunity to use their mathematics skills within the context of another discipline; and (c) entry-level mathematics courses are not giving the students the ability to transfer their mathematical knowledge, so mathematics is underutilized across the university.
The project addresses these concerns by adapting and implementing INTERMATH's Interdisciplinary Lively Application Project (ILAP) model by forming and supporting six interdisciplinary teams of faculty in precalculus and calculus. Each team (composed of a faculty member from mathematics and a faculty member from a partner discipline) are charged with identifying specific mathematical skills necessary in the partner discipline, identifying an actual scenario in which these skills are used, and integrating two new ILAPs in existing mathematics courses.
Expected outcomes include: 1. Stronger mathematics courses: ILAPs provide students with a contextual use of mathematics that is closely tied to other programs on campus. 2. Integration of mathematics across the university: The partnerships created foster collaboration between departments and help facilitate institution wide change.
Broader Impact: The investigators have designed a broad dissemination plan in an effort to achieve the greatest possible impact of the project. The ILAPs are available for all to use (via the web), results are being communicated directly with regional two- and four-year colleges as well as high schools across Washington, interdisciplinary partnerships are facilitating greater utilization of mathematics throughout the university curriculum, and a framework for sustaining and expanding on the materials and intramural relationships is being created.
