Calculus III: Under the Influence of Peer Instruction

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

article

Von Herrmann, Alan¹  Clark, L. Jeneva² 

[1] Colorado School of Mines;University of Tennessee

关键词: calculus;    peer instruction;    polling;    active learning;   

DOI  :  10.5642/jhummath.MDFX5309

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Claremont Center for the Mathematical Sciences

【 摘 要 】

In peer Instruction, students engage with core course concepts and then explain those concepts to one another in small groups. Unlike in lecture format, peer instruction involves every student in the class. In Spring 2019, the first authot began using a modified version of peer instruction in Calculus III classes. He started each class by discussing important Calculus III concepts from three standpoints (the formula, the geometry behind the formula, and the physics behind the formula). During the last 20 minutes of each 50-minute class session, he polled the students using questions in the “Goldilocks Zone” – not too hard and not too easy, but just right for Calculus III students. These questions ignited student-to-student discussions. Students’ attendance and achievement have improved. The paper also describes how peer instruction has influenced the first author's own instructional practices.

【 授权许可】

CC BY-NC-ND