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Preparing Students for Success in Calculus: Aligning Placement, Curriculum, and Assessment

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Location: Joint Mathematics Meetings, Atlanta, GA
                Hyatt - Embassy B, International Tower
Dates and times:
  • Thursday, January 5, 2017, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
  • Friday, January 6, 2017, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
  • Saturday, January 7. 2017, 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm

The Mathematical Association of America has engaged in studies that have identified key variables that contribute to student success in Precalculus and Calculus. These include use of: i) student placement exams, ii) curriculum that is engaging and mathematically coherent, iii) valid formative assessments of student learning, and iv) mathematically focused instructor/TA training.  With funding from NSF, URSIP (Using Research to Shape Instruction and Placement in Algebra and Precalculus), an MAA-based project,  is offering a workshop for faculty who are interested in learning more about assessment and placement in Precalculus and Calculus, its alignment with curriculum and ultimately with student success in these courses.

The workshop participants will examine tasks, lessons, and online materials that are leading to significant gains in student learning of precalculus and beginning calculus ideas. Assessment tools and data will be discussed and shared. Participants will receive a booklet of published papers and assessments to support their evaluation and improvement of their precalculus and introductory calculus courses.

During the first two-hour session, participants will:

  • engage with lessons, tasks, and animations that are effective in helping students approach applied "word" problems, understand and use ideas of function, rate of change, function inverse, and function composition
  • receive published papers and assessment items to collect formative data of student learning of these ideas

During the second two-hour session, participants will:

  • examine lessons, tasks, and animations that are helping students understand exponential growth and unit circle trigonometry
  • receive published papers and assessment items to collect formative data of student learning of these ideas

During the third two-hour session, participants will:

  • examine lessons, tasks, and animations that are helping students understand key ideas of calculus
  • receive published papers and assessment items to collect formative data of student learning of key ideas of beginning calculus.

There is no fee associated with attending this workshop.  Those interested should plan on attending all three sessions.

Funding for this project is provided by NSF DUE-1122965.