News
Making Freshman Calculus Add Up for More Students
UC Riverside is leading a new, $1.26 million project to bring calculus classes to life for students who are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math subjects.
“We want to bridge students’ intuitive thought process and precise mathematical calculations,” Weisbart said. “I want them to know that symbols on paper have meaning and relate to what we see in the world, and to view manipulating symbols as a proxy for performing physical experiments.”
UCR Mathematics is Funded for its Curriculum Innovation
The Department of Mathematics at University of California Riverside will join the Grand Challenge of California Learning Lab to develop A New Mathematics Gateway. The UCR project’s aim is to re-conceptualize how calculus is taught and to open a wide and inclusive STEM gateway for a diverse future generation of engineers, mathematical scientists, physical and biological scientists, and medical scientists. The development of this new program is guided by mathematical principles and educational research and will utilize spatial learning strategies, supplemented by self-paced micro-tutorial videos, and guided by interactive worksheets. All learning materials are organized to support student engagement at different learning levels through adaptive technology and are formatted to be both scientifically and culturally relevant to students.
This project’s aim is to not only provide a learning environment that is more inclusive but to equitably sustain students’ persistence in engineering, medical or science programs. The materials developed under this project will be shared as Open Educational Resources to benefit all students and educators.
This project is a partnership among UC Riverside, Saddleback College, and Yuba College. Over ten faculty members from Mathematics, Education, Biological, and Physical Sciences participate in the development of this project. It is supported by UCR’s XCITE. This project is funded by the California Learning Lab for over $1,260,000 from July 1, 2021 to December 31, 2024.
Project PIs:
PI: Yat Sun Poon (UC Riverside, Mathematics)
Co-PI and Project Director: David Weisbart (UC Riverside, Mathematics)
Co-PI: Kinnari Atit (UC Riverside, School of Education)
Co-PI: Catherine (Cathy) Lussier (UC Riverside, School of Education)
Co-PI: Carrillo Bryan (Saddleback College, Mathematics)
Co-PI: Dylan Noack (Yuba College, Mathematics)
Activities
Enhancing STEM Diversity and Achievement through Active Learning Strategies Embedded in Micro-Tutorial Videos
The global movement to boost the enrollment of students in STEM fields in higher education is gaining momentum. As we explore innovative ways to enhance access to STEM learning, it's crucial to acknowledge the significant underrepresentation of certain groups, such as women, multilingual students, Latinx students, and other historically underrepresented groups who could play a vital role in meeting this increasing demand. The integration of cognitive strategies within STEM curricula and instructional materials has been shown to promote higher levels of student achievement and retention across a diverse student body. These cognitive strategies, including the use of real-world examples, visual cues, reflective questioning about one's understanding, and spatial reasoning tasks, are instrumental in fostering student engagement, facilitating conceptual understanding through schema activation, and minimizing the cognitive load during problem-solving. In our workshop presentation, I will discuss research that supports the adoption of active learning techniques, how to effectively utilize them within instructional resources such as micro-tutorial videos as part of supporting mathematical learning, and how increased usage of these strategies can enhance both the quantity and diversity of STEM students who successfully participate in STEM.
Date and Time: April 12th, 2024, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Location: Sproul 1215, UC Riverside
Organizer: Cathy Lussier, School of Education, Riverside
The Principles of Calculus -- A New Mathematics Gateway
Our undergraduate education institutions face multiple challenges. It is particularly so at the freshmen level. Funded by the State of California, a group of four mathematicians and two mathematics educators conceive a one-year program to meet some of the most fundamental challenges in teaching calculus to freshmen, including those with minimum preparations. This program is materialized as a set of Open Education Resources with adaptive and collaborative learning opportunities. It is currently piloted in both in-person and online modes in three different institutions in California. In this presentation, we will touch upon our specific challenges, define our approaches, layout the mathematical principles, and sample some of the learning materials. Cognitive and efficacy research results are forthcoming.
Date and Time: March 6th, 2024, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Location: 409, Deuxieme Maison Hall, Florida International University, Miami
Speaker: Yat Sun Poon, Professor of Mathematics, University of California, Riverside
The New Mathematics Gateway Presents: An AMS Special Session on Principles, Spatial Reasoning, and Science in First Year Calculus, I and II
It is a special session of JMM 2024 at San Francisco. For program details, location, and abstracts, please visit the website of the American Mathematical Society www.ams.org. Below is a program outline.
Jan 5, 2024 1:00 p.m.
Title: Principles of Reasoning for Structuring a Calculus Curriculum
Presenter: David Weisbart, University of California Riverside
Jan 5, 2024 2:00 p.m.
Title: Implementing a Principle-based Calculus Curriculum
Presenter: Bryan Carrillo, Saddleback College
Jan 5, 2024 3:00 p.m.
Title: The Role of Spatial Cognition in Postsecondary Math Learning
Presenter: Robert C. Wilbur, UC Riverside
Jan 5, 2024 3:30 p.m.
Title: Broadening Engagement in Postsecondary Math by Examining Instructor Active Learning Strategy Usage: Preliminary Report
Presenter: Catherine Lussier, UC Riverside
Jan 5, 2024 4:00 p.m. - (A Panel Discussion)
Title: The Challenges and Options of Embedding Sciences in a Calculus Course
Moderator: Yat Sun Poon, UC Riverside
Panelists: Dylan Noack, Yuba College; Roberto C Pelayo, UC Irvine; Christina White, Saddleback College
Jan 5, 2024 4:30pm. (A Panel Discussion)
Title: Community Development: The Joy and Challenge when Adopting Innovative Curriculum Tools
Moderator: Catherine Lussier, UC Riverside
Panelists: Bryan Carrillo, Saddleback College; Mark Lydon, Yuba College; Dylan Noack, Yuba College; Mayya Tokman, UC Merced
Jan 6, 2024 1:00 p.m.
Title: Spatial Visualization in MY MATH Apps Calculus
Presenter: Philip B. Yasskin, Texas A&M University
Jan 6, 2024 1:30 p.m.
Title: Concept Equilibration, Aligning Formal Concept Definition with Student's Concept Images - the Focus of a Redesigned Calculus 1 Course
Presenter: Girija Nair-Hart, University of Cincinnati, Clermont
Dr. David Weisbart’s Presentation
Title: A Report on the Development of a Principle-Based Calculus Course in the UC System
Speaker: Dr. David Weisbart, UCR
Abstract: What is the difference between a topic-based and a principle-based course? What is the value of a principle-based course and a principle-based curriculum? How can one implement such a course and design such a curriculum? We will discuss what it means for a course to be principle-based and describe an underlying philosophy of teaching and learning that supports principle-based instruction. Using concrete examples, we discuss some advantages that principle-based precalculus and calculus courses offer.
Dr. David Weisbart will be a keynote speaker for the Arizona Mathematical Association of Two Year Colleges in its Fall 2022 conference.
It will take place at the Northland Pioneer College’s campus in Snowflake, Arizona.
For program details, please visit meeting website: https://arizmatyc.org/wp/fall-2022-conference/
CLL-A New Mathematics Gateway Seminar
Title: An analytic examination of active STEM learning: Methods to broaden the impact of micro-tutorials
Speaker: Dr. Cathy Lussier, School of Education, University of California at Riverside
Abstract: There is a growing global call to increase the number of students pursuing STEM disciplines in higher education. As we reimagine improving access to the STEM pipeline, it should be recognized that there are categories of students who are disproportionately underrepresented in these disciplines (e.g., women, students from underrepresented minority backgrounds) that can help address this demand. Embedding cognitive strategies to support active learning within STEM curriculum and teaching resources has been directly tied to supporting greater student achievement and diverse student persistence. Cognitive strategies such as incorporating real-life examples, visual cueing, judgment of understanding questions, and spatial tasks, all support student engagement, sense-making with scheme activation, and reduce memory requirements when problem-solving. In this talk, I will present research in support of using gateway mathematics course resources (such as micro-tutorials) that utilize these types of active learning strategies as a way to improve the number and diversity of STEM students that persist to degree completion.
Logistics:
Date: May 20th
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Place: Zoom ID: 952 1585 1206
Passcode: Upon Request with Rob Lam or Yat Sun Poon
CLL-A New Mathematics Gateway Seminar
Title: Supporting STEM Learning by Leveraging and Bolstering Spatial Skills: A Method of Diversifying STEM
Speaker: Dr. Kinnari Atit, School of Education, University of California at Riverside
Abstract: In the U.S., there is a disparity between the number of students pursuing STEM and the number of professionals needed to meet global and economic demands. Of those that do pursue STEM, few are women or individuals from underrepresented minority backgrounds. Increasing the diversity within STEM disciplines can help alleviate this gap. Spatial skills, cognitive skills that enable us to manipulate, organize, reason about, and make sense of spatial relationships in real and imagined spaces, predict success in STEM disciplines. In this talk, I will present research in support of using gateway mathematics courses to bolster students' spatial skills as a way to help diversify the STEM workforce.
Location:
Date: May 6th
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 9:50 a.m.
Place: Zoom ID 952 1585 1206
Passcode: Upon Request with Rob Lam / Yat Sun Poon
CLL-A New Mathematics Gateway Seminar
Title: Challenges and Advantages of a Principle-Based Calculus Course
Speaker: Dr. David Weisbart, Department of Mathematics, University of California at Riverside
Abstract: We will discuss what it means for a course to be principle-based and describe an underlying philosophy of teaching and learning that supports principle-based instruction. Using concrete examples, we discuss some advantages that a principle-based calculus course offers, as well as some challenges in constructing and implementing such a course.
Location:
Date: April 15th
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 9:50 a.m.
Place: Zoom ID 952 1585 1206
Passcode: Upon Request with Rob Lam / Yat Sun Poon
Self-Study Seminar
Every Friday from January 28th, 2022 to March 18th, 2022. 9:30 - 10:50 a.m.
*Zoom link by request
Contact Person: Yat Sun Poon
Meetings
- October 15, 2021 eBook development, Content Specialists
- October 8, 2021 UCR Course Proposal, UCR Math Advisory
- September 29, 2021 UCR Course Proposal, UCR Math Advisory
- September 24, 2021 eBook development, Content Specialists
- September 22, 2021 Pilot development, Math 5 guest instructors and TAs