Aourse Transformation Work
PreCalculus, MATH 104: Our transformation work on MATH 104 focused on incorporating frequent group work across sections, increasing our support of GTAs, and coordinating the course across sections. I designed and implemented in-class group work activities and post-class assignments, as well as redesigned the exams and introduced an online homework program. I met with GTAs and instructors weekly, and we implemented a GTA training handbook.
Calculus III, MATH 127: MATH 127 was first offered in Spring 2016, when we transitioned from a two-course calculus sequence to a three-course sequence. We designed the course with a focus on active learning. Therefore, we worked to transform the pre-class, in-class, and post-class activities, as well as to improve our assessment of student learning outcomes using exams and student feedback surveys.
Click the image above for a larger version or see the PDF version here: Restructuring Calculus: Reorganizing Content and Moving Toward a Flipped Classroom.
Faculty and Student Development Programs
Mini Grants: We received two mini grants from the C21 Course Transformation Grant offered by the Center for Teaching Excellence at the University of Kansas. These grants supported the work of graduate students who assisted with a number of redesign activities that included flipping MATH 104 and realigning learning objectives and creating a video library for MATH 127.
Instructor Collaboration: I worked closely with Joe Brennan, an Assistant Teaching Professor and instructor of MATH 125 and 126, so that the calculus sequence was uniform in implementation. I also collaborated with the faculty members teaching MATH 127 throughout the semester.
Transformation Highlight
Faculty in the KU Math department worked together to remap the course curriculum for the three-course calculus sequence. In addition, they have unified all of the course content and materials across the three sections to ensure that students are prepared for downstream courses.
Expert
Dr. Missy Shabazz was a post-doctoral teaching fellow in the Mathematics department at the University of Kansas from 2015 until 2018. She focused on improving interaction with students and incorporating active learning opportunities in large lecture Math courses. Dr. Shabazz earned her Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Arkansas in 2015. She is now an Assistant Instructional Professor at the University of Florida. She can be contacted via email at shabazzm@ufl.edu to access the repository for MATH 104 and MATH 127.