Speaker
- Marty Weissman (UC Santa Cruz)
Details
I will introduce the structure and pedagogy of a new math course at UC Santa Cruz: a modeling-based course in mathematics for the life sciences. Adapted from LS30 at UCLA, the UCSC course uses the dynamics of biological systems as a foundation for teaching relevant concepts from calculus, dynamics, and linear algebra. After a broad introduction to the content and structure of the course, I’ll discuss a pedagogical approach which guides our active learning discussion sections. Some are deliberately high-tech, with custom simulators of dynamical systems. Others are deliberately no-tech, with pen on paper, and chalk on the blackboard. From what we have learned over the past two years, I’ll reflect on what seems to work best for student learning and for the development of our teaching team.
