Progress through Calculus

Transcription

1 Mathematical Association of America Progress through Calculus IUSE # Advisory Board Meeting San Antonio, TX January 14, 2015 A pdf file of this PowerPoint is available at

2 PI: David Bressoud co-pi s: Characteristics of Successful Programs in College Calculus Marilyn Carlson Arizona State Michael Pearson MAA DRL REESE # Vilma Mesa U Michigan Linda Braddy MAA Chris Rasmussen San Diego State Statistical Consultants: Phil Sadler & Gerhard Sonnert, Harvard

3 Characteristics of Successful Programs in College Calculus Three parts: 1. National survey of students in mainstream Calculus I and their instructors (Fall, 2010) 2. Statistical model of factors influencing changes in student attitudes and intention to persist from start to end of Calculus I 3. Case studies of 18 institutions with successful Calculus I programs (Fall, 2012)

4 Fall 2010 Phase I: Survey Responses from 213 colleges and universities 502 instructors representing 663 Calculus I classes and 26,257 students 14,184 students

5 Characteristics of Successful Programs in College Calculus Three parts: 1. National survey of students in mainstream Calculus I and their instructors (Fall, 2010) 2. Statistical model of factors influencing changes in student attitudes and intention to persist from start to end of Calculus I 3. Case studies of 17 institutions with successful Calculus I programs (Fall, 2012)

6 Dependent Variables Attitudes Change, pre to post Confidence I am confident in my mathematics abilities Enjoyment I enjoy doing mathematics If I had a choice If I had a choice: I would never take another mathematics course to I would continue to take mathematics Change in Interest, post only This course has increased my interest in taking more mathematics Intention to take Calc II Change, pre to post Do you intend to take Calculus II?

7 Characteristics of Successful Programs in College Calculus Three parts: 1. National survey of students in mainstream Calculus I and their instructors (Fall, 2010) 2. Statistical model of factors influencing changes in student attitudes and intention to persist from start to end of Calculus I 3. Case studies of 17 institutions with successful Calculus I programs (Fall, 2012)

8 Case studies of selected calculus programs 5 PhD granting universities (2 large public, 1 large private, 1 public technical, 1 private technical) 4 MA granting universities (3 public, 1 private) 5 BA granting 4-year colleges (4 private, 1 public) 4 AS granting 2-year colleges (1 inner city, 1 rural, 2 mid-size towns)

9 7 Common Features of Calculus Programs at Selected PhD GranCng InsCtuCons 1- Rigorous courses 2- AIenCon to local data 3- GTA professional development 4- SupporCng teaching and accve learning 5- CoordinaCon 6- Learning resources 7- Placement

10 CSPCC Monograph of Findings and Relevant Literature 1. The Calculus Student 2. Instructor and Institutional Factors on Students Attitude 3. The Institutional Context 4. The Calculus I Curriculum 5. Placement Procedures 6. Academic and Social Supports 7. Good Teaching of Calculus 8. Ambitious Teaching of Calculus 9. Coordination of Calculus Sections 10. Professional Development of Graduate Students 11. Use of Local Data to Inform and Refine Programs Bressoud, Mesa, Rasmussen editors Expected publication: summer 2015

11 Progress through Calculus PI: David Bressoud co-pi s: DUE IUSE # Chris Rasmussen San Diego State Linda Braddy MAA Jess Ellis Colorado State Sean Larsen Portland State

12 Progress through Calculus, NSF IUSE # , five years Restrict to departments with graduate programs in Mathematics (Masters and/or PhD) Pre-Calculus through Calculus II sequence Multiple outcome measures (including work with CB and ETS on using AP Calculus exam questions) Focus on networking and observing departments that are reforming one or more courses in this sequence Spring 2015, census survey of all such departments to gather background information and identify candidates for case study sites

13 Research Questions 1. What are the programs and structures of the precalc/ calc sequence as currently implemented? What is the fine-grain structure of these programs and structures in practice? What changes to these programs and structures are being implemented in Mathematics departments, either in pilot programs or as large-scale initiatives? 2. How do characteristics of precalc/calc programs relate to student success? What is the relationship between various structural, curricular, and pedagogical decisions (including differing levels of implementation of the practices identified in CSPCC) on student success in precalc/calc?

14 Methods This spring: survey of current enrollments and practices, Precalc through Calc II, at all Masters and PhD-granting universities Selection of 12 universities for annual case study visits over years 3 5, monitoring what is happening and effect of changes. Use of assessments of student learning, student and faculty interviews, and grades in downstream classes to assess effectiveness of changes. A pdf file of this PowerPoint is available at For more informacon see maa.org/cspcc