It can be easy to silo ourselves with those that think “like us”. This is the opposite of what we want to do if we want to be better educators. In this talk, I will make a case for the value of building bridges in mathematics education. Along the way, I will discuss recent work that examines the cost of uncivil discourse in mathematics education. I will close with questions to consider for the community of those who wish for...

As interest in STEM fields has grown over the last few decades, enrollment in introductory STEM courses has substantially increased, resulting in either larger sections of these classes or more of them. With increased enrollment in these courses, ensuring consistency and quality across multiple sections has become a widespread challenge. Course coordination has been widely implemented as a structured approach to address this issue. In this talk, we will discuss the literature surrounding course coordination, how it works, and what...

How do we approach students who do not see mathematics as useful? Those who are afraid of it? This talk will describe how we can engage them in quantitative thinking by “teaching backward”. Using examples, I will show how starting with stories, we can often get students to grab onto mathematics. They may surprise themselves by how far they get.

This session will explore how the University of Michigan incorporates Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) into graduate-level courses. Jenny Wilson and David Speyer will discuss their approach to framing and facilitating IBL instruction for graduate students, offering insights into how these methods enhance engagement and deepen understanding.

In this talk, John and Sarah will discuss how fostering student engagement is a central theme of the mathematics curriculum at Olin College of Engineering. From day one, interdisciplinary projects and collaborative teaming experiences help cultivate student ownership in learning.  Courses use increasing levels of autonomy in various ways to help keep motivation (and morale!) high.  While a major goal of our curriculum is to develop students’ project management skills alongside their quantitative analysis skills, we believe that nurturing an...

Large courses are a challenge to teach for a variety of reasons, especially when incorporating active learning. In this talk, I take a philosophical approach informed by the notion of embracing and seeking opportunity in imperfect situations, without minimizing or discounting the real challenges instructors grapple with. While this talk will not focus on specific practical and readily implementable techniques, the hope is that attendees might find it useful to apply a Wabi Sabi lens in order to identify opportunities...

Bridge programs provide crucial academic and mentorship resources to help students transition smoothly into PhD programs. In this panel discussion, Creating Pathways to a Math PhD, leaders from various bridge programs will share the pivotal role these initiatives play in preparing students for graduate studies in mathematics. Program representatives will briefly share insights into their curricula, student outcomes, and support for underrepresented or nontraditional students. A moderated discussion will follow, exploring the broader impact of these programs on graduate education...

Research links strong metacognitive skills with increased academic and math performance; however, incorporating opportunities for students to learn and practice metacognitive skills within our mathematics courses can be challenging.  In this talk, we will explore the literature on metacognition, with a focus on what we as instructors can do to build metacognition into our courses.  I will share my own experience building a Weekly Learning Strategy program into a large multi-section calculus course at Yale, and reflect on successes, challenges,...

It has been shown that attending peer tutoring is correlated to improved outcomes for undergraduate mathematics students. This talk will explore results from our research on tutoring interactions. Although undergraduate peer tutors don’t behave like expert instructors, their contributions to student learning are unique and benefit students. Our research exposes some opportunities for tutor training that meets the tutors where they are and leverages their natural tendencies. I will also discuss some of my recent work regarding the role of...

AI-powered activities in STEM education offer a way to blend well-established active learning techniques with personalized instruction. These AI-supported lessons adapt to each student’s needs, providing an alternative that can improve engagement, motivation, and learning outcomes. This presentation will cover the design and implementation of these activities and present insights from a study comparing AI-driven instruction with in-class active learning methods.

Peter Liljedahl’s book Building Thinking Classrooms provides a roadmap for teachers to “get more students thinking, thinking more, thinking longer.” In this OLSUME seminar, Peter Liljedahl will outline the principles of his book and dive into several of the 14 teaching practices that research shows optimize conditions for students to think, which increases their engagement and learning. Building Thinking Classrooms has a large K-12 audience, but the ambitious goals and research-based strategies can also help frame instruction for math educators...

Theoretical frameworks provide structure and common terminology for educational research studies, andthe theories used often impact the findings that are reported. In this talk, we will consider different theoretical frameworks that may be used to study entry-level mathematics endeavors from the performance of mathematics tutoring centers to systemic departmental change efforts.