PROCEEDINGS OF THE 17TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2014
Denver, Colorado
Why Lectures In Advanced Mathematics Often Fail
Page: 830
Research on mathematicians’ pedagogical practice in advanced mathematics is sparse. The current paper contributes to this literature by reporting a case study on a proof that a professor presented in a real analysis course. By interviewing the professor, we focus on his learning goals in this proof and the actions that he took to achieve these goals. By interviewing six students, we investigate how they perceived the proof and what they learned from it. Our analysis provides insight into why students did not learn what the professor desired from this lecture.