Bill’s Big Adventure Laptop Sophomore Math

Bill’s Big Adventure Laptop Sophomore Math

Bill Moss

http://www.math.clemson.edu/~bmoss

A Brief History

1967-2001 Lecture mode at the Naval Nuclear Power School, Georgia Tech, Old Dominion, and Clemson.

1995: CoES formed 1996: The big burst. 1997: Renovation of Martin

Hall, SUCCEED TBCD co-PI, SUCCEED.

Teaching Effectiveness workshop.

A Brief History [cont’d]

1998: Laptop Pilot, WebCT, SUCCEED workshop on teaching with technology.

1999: Laptop 208, SUCCEED teaching effectiveness trainers workshop.

2000: Laptop 208, SUCCEED new faculty workshop.

2001: Laptop 208, SUCCEED new faculty workshop.

A Brief History [cont’] 2002

Studio Laptop calculus III, differential equations, and linear algebra.

Moss, Weaver, Pargas, Grimes weekly seminar.

International College Teaching and Learning Conference and award.

Future -- 2003

Fall: Studio Laptop calculus III and linear algebra

Spring: SCALE-UP Laptop differential equations in the renovated old student center ballroom.

Influences

RPI: Hesburgh award 1995 for Studio calculus and physics

U Del: Hesburgh award 1999 for Problem Based Learning

NSF SCALE-UP Project: NCSU, UCF, MIT, et. al.

Research Base

How People Learn, Brain, Mind, Experience, School, National Research Council, National Academy Press, 2000.

Studio Calculus III The Calculus of the 3D World Visualization is a strand that runs through the

entire course. Students build 3D solids by constructing their

bounding surfaces, one surface at a time. This course is more technically advanced than

the traditional pencil and

paper course.

Characteristics

Reduced lecture: 10-15 mini-lectures Course journal and Maple tutorials (TA graded) Tutorials submitted via the WebCT dropbox Low-stakes quizzes, individual and team Team mini-projects Team projects Coaching by instructor and

peers Practice exams

Maple Tutorials

Instructional Objectives with suggested problems for each objective

Main mathematical points with examples worked by hand and with Maple

Course journal homework assignments

Maple problems to be worked at the end of the tutorial

Pedagogy

Covering the syllabus = writing it on the board. NO!

Teaching = talking for the entire 50 minute period. NO!

Can technology encourage students to be more independent, exploratory learners? YES!

Pedagogy

Students take responsibility for their learning.

Coaching enhances formative assessment.

Taking attendance and learning names is easy, e-mail absentees during studio time.

Frequent quizzes increase engagement.

Peer instruction is effective. Studio time mixes individual and

cooperative learning.

Student Surveys:

Calculus III Lecture unit – exam Studio unit – exam Survey 1

Differential Equations Survey 2: end of year survey, 206 and

208 students.