RUME 25
2023
Omaha, Nebraska
Student Reasoning about Definite Integrals on a Calculus Concepts Assessment
Page: 1070
Assessing student understanding of calculus concepts is of interest to RUME researchers and practitioners alike. This paper details the initiation of the development phase of a new instrument to assess student understanding of the central concepts in the introductory collegiate calculus course. We discuss a framework for defining “conceptual understanding” and make transparent our process for selecting and refining robust tasks to measure it. We provide discussion on interview responses that reveal how students may attempt to rely on memorized procedure and, as a result, discredit productive conclusions. Finally, we outline and seek discussion on future work to continue development of valid and reliable questions to assess the broad range of productive understandings in calculus.