PROCEEDINGS OF THE 15TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION (Vol 1)
2012
Portland, Oregon
Teaching Methods Comparison in a Large Introductory Calculus Class
Page: 1-123
We have implemented a classroom experiment similar to a recent study in Physics (Deslauriers, Schelew, & Wieman, 2011): each of two sections of the same Calculus 1 course at a research-focused university were subject to an “intervention” week where a less- experienced instructor encouraged a much higher level of student engagement by design; we employed a modified quasi-experiment structure for our methods comparison with a Calculus 1 student population and with further steps to improve validity. Our instructional choices encouraged active learning (answering “clicker” questions, small-group discussions, worksheets) during a significant amount of class time, building on assigned pre-class tasks. The lesson content and analysis of the assessments were informed by existing research on student learning of mathematics, in particular the APOS framework. We report improved student performance, on conceptual items in particular, in the higher engagement section in both cases.