
We recognize the deep and diverse expertise of MAA community members as a rich resource that can benefit others through professional development training. The OPEN Math workshops will draw on this expertise to offer impactful and meaningful professional development experiences about a wide range of mathematics education topics. Using online delivery methods reduces the cost and environmental impact of participating in professional development and enables people to take part from a wide range of teaching positions, institutions, and life circumstances. Please consider sharing your expertise in a summer 2023 workshop.
Workshop Guidelines
OPEN Math workshops may focus on educational practices at the course and classroom level or on a co-curricular program or structure within a mathematical sciences department. As you design your workshop and write your application, please note the following requirements:
- All OPEN Math workshops must emphasize modern, research-based, learner-centered teaching and learning approaches in higher education— both in what they are teaching participants to use and in how they interact with participants during the workshop. Likewise, workshops must use and promote strategies for creating inclusive learning environments.
- To provide a common framework across all workshops, and to help participants recognize and use the IP Guide as a rich resource for guiding their practice, we ask all workshops to make explicit use of the MAA Instructional Practices (IP) Guide in some way, e.g. using frameworks or ideas, selecting readings, etc.
- The OPEN Math project also seeks to develop the skills and capacities of new and experienced professional development leaders, and to strengthen the community of practice around providing professional development. Please consider these goals in developing your workshop team.
- The OPEN Math project recognizes that professional development training is less effective in a vacuum – efforts should be made for pedagogical shifts and curriculum changes to occur at a department, program, or institutional level. To this end, there is a thread within the project specifically for engaging program leaders at various levels. We welcome proposals that take up this thread.
- OPEN Math workshops require between 20 and 30 hours of direct contact along with pre- and post-workshop engagement. Here “direct contact” means “synchronous activities,” some of which could involve small, independent group work away from the workshop leaders. Individual, asynchronous activities and pre/post workshop work should not count among the direct contact hours.
- We’re asking workshop teams to follow one of the tested formats described below. This link provides examples of recent workshops that use each format.
- Format choice #1: intensive workshop (roughly 6 hours per day for 4 days in one week)
- Format choice #2: extended mini-course (roughly 3 hours per day for 3 days per week for three weeks)
- We require that all selected workshop teams participate in a collaborative, online winter planning meeting in February/March of 2023, where we’ll exchange resources and ideas, and help you hash out your workshop plans in detail. Please ensure as many as possible from your team can attend. Please check schedules now – it is important (for the success of the funding grant) that at least two leaders of your workshop participate in these planning meetings. These online sessions are set for:
- February 2, 4:00-6:00pm ET
- February 16, 4:00-6:00pm ET
- March 2, 4:00-6:00pm ET.
- As a condition of funding, we will also ask for your commitment to take part in the project evaluation. This includes some follow-up work with the evaluation team as well as follow-up with your workshop participants. For more information on the evaluation process, see the Evaluation FAQ document.
Budget
Each workshop team selected for 2023 will have a budget of $12,000 that can be used for materials, software, and stipends. We set the maximum individual stipend at $4,000 to ensure that the workshop team includes several people, preferably from a variety of backgrounds, affiliations, and viewpoints. All materials you develop will remain your intellectual property. The OPEN Math project will help with recruiting participants and managing participant applications; workshop evaluation; and recognition of your leadership in professional development.
How to Apply
To apply for an OPEN Math Workshop you must submit an application through Amplifund, our online application portal. You will need to create a free account within the Amplifund system. If awarded, this account will be used to administer your award, so please be sure to enter all of your contact information correctly. We will notify applicants of their status by mid-December 2022.
Apply Now Frequently Asked Questions
How to Create an Amplifund Account
On the "Application Details" page, click "Apply". On the next screen, click "Register". Enter the information as requested, and read and accept the terms and conditions. You may now complete your application.
Getting Started with Amplifund
Get started with Amplifund by watching this video. You will learn about setting up an account, completing an application, and submitting an application. We recommend completing the application on Amplifund using Chrome or Firefox. There are known issues with Amplifund and Safari.
Frequently Asked Questions