2nd Workshop for Interdisciplinary and Inquiry Based Teaching of Calculus – April 5, 2014
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NSF-USF-STEP
TEAM
Dr. Kandethody Ramachandran Dr. Catherine BénéteauDr. Scott CampbellDr. Gordon FoxDr. Arcadii GrinshpanDr. Marcus McWatersDr. Jennifer Lewis
2nd Workshop for Interdisciplinary and Inquiry Based Teaching of Calculus – April 5, 2014
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• The STEP project at University of South Florida (http://www.math.usf.edu/resources/step/) is based on the premise that success in calculus is the gateway to success in the STEM fields.
• This project is aimed at increasing STEM graduates through intervention programs in the Engineering and Life Science Calculus sequences.
• Through this project we have developed and are implementing several transportable strategies such as
one-stop extended-hour tutoring (STEM Mart, http://lib.usf.edu/smart-lab/stem-center/), project-based teaching, and peer leading. • These multiple strategies have transformed the teaching of calculus at USF and are leading to
increased retention and pass rates for students.
USF-STEP PROJECT
2nd Workshop for Interdisciplinary and Inquiry Based Teaching of Calculus – April 5, 2014
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Challenges faced
• The overall pass rate in Calculus sequence was about 50- 55% before project inception.
• Tutoring was scattered around the campus in the individual departments restricted to scattered office hours.
• In sciences and engineering, teaching was just another duty. Research on teaching methods was the issue with Education departments.
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Project Based InstructionTeach calculus through projects based on real life problems Students work with a faculty member
or supervisor in their workplace to define a problem, write and analyze appropriate equations, and write a narrative report – in essence, they write a story problem, and then answer it and write it up as a scientific report.
Our solutions
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From Fall 2008 to Fall 2013, a total of 1162 projects have been completed.
These projects include majority from engineering topics, many from medical, natural sciences and other fields representing real life topics.
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Project Based Instruction Effects
• Created an electronic journal Undergraduate journal of
mathematical modeling: one + two
• Project activities have resulted in a new center (Center for Industrial and Interdisciplinary Mathematics, http://ciim.usf.edu) at USF- being directed by Dr. Grinshpan.
Project bank will be a source for project based teaching
http://shell.cas.usf.edu/math/mug/projectindex.htm
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Peer Leading
In peer leader program, selected students provide structured tutoring and serve as role models for other students
developed a curriculum for Engineering and Life Science Calculus 1
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Effects
Got permanent funding from the USF for
22 Undergraduate Peer Leaders
4 graduate TAs every semester for Mathematics.
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STEM Mart
STEM Mart is a walk-in tutoring center that provides undergraduate students in the STEM disciplines an opportunity to receive free tutoring from other successful undergraduate students selected by the program. Open extended hours (M-Th., 10am-9pm, F.,
10am -4pm) and weekend hours (Sun., 1pm-5pm).
About 40 undergraduate students serve as tutors for elementary level STEM courses
STEM Mart is now recognized as a successful peer mentoring model.
2nd Workshop for Interdisciplinary and Inquiry Based Teaching of Calculus – April 5, 2014
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STEM Mart Utilization
All together from Fall 2008 to Spring 2014 the number of recorded student visits is 25154. In fact for Spring 13 and Fall 13, a total of more than 6000 visits are recorded by more than 1600 different students.
Popular destination for calculus and physics students
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PROJECT BASED INSTRUCTION Pass rates are over 25% higher for students who did projects compared to those who did not. The percentage of students who graduated with a STEM degree is 5% higher for students who did projects compared to those who did not.
Data Results
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2nd Workshop for Interdisciplinary and Inquiry Based Teaching of Calculus – April 5, 2014
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STEM MART Pass rates for students who visit STEM Mart average 69% over the course of the project. However, the average pass rate for students who make at least 5 visits/semester is 80%.
2nd Workshop for Interdisciplinary and Inquiry Based Teaching of Calculus – April 5, 2014
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LATER COURSE The pass rate of students in EGN 3343 Thermodynamics is 5% higher for those who took Calculus I since the project inception compared to those who took it earlier
OVERALL The overall pass rate in Calculus
increased from 55% in 2006 (before project inception) to 73% in 2012-13.
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Conclusion
These multiple strategies have transformed the teaching of calculus at USF and are leading to increased retention and pass rates for students.
The project methods are relatively easily transportable to other institutions.
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• http://www.math.usf.edu/resources/step/
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STIPEND
$300.00 stipend will be mailed to participants who had registered and signed in.
Workshop for Interdisciplinary and Inquiry Based Teaching of Calculus – September 29, 2012
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SUGGESTIONS
