Board 290: Faculty Experiences with Hands-on Models for Calculus Instruction

Eric Davishahl; Kathryn Mary Rupe; Lee Singleton

Download Paper | Permalink

Conference: 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Baltimore , Maryland
Publication Date: June 25, 2023
Start Date: June 25, 2023
End Date: June 28, 2023
Conference Session: NSF Grantees Poster Session
Tagged Topic: NSF Grantees Poster Session
Page Count: 10
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--42789
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/42789
Download Count: 120

Request a correction

Paper Authors

biography

Eric Davishahl Whatcom Community College orcid.org/0000-0001-9506-2658

visit author page

Eric Davishahl serves as professor and engineering program coordinator at Whatcom Community College in northwest Washington state. His current project involves developing and piloting an integrated multidisciplinary learning community for first-year engineering. More general teaching and research interests include designing, implementing and assessing activities for first-year engineering, engineering mechanics, and scientific computing. Eric has been an active member of ASEE since 2001. He was the recipient of the 2008 Pacific Northwest Section Outstanding Teaching Award and currently serves on the ASEE Board of Directors as Zone IV Chair.

visit author page

biography

Kathryn Mary Rupe Western Washington University

visit author page

Kathryn Rupe is an assistant professor of math education at Western Washington University. Previously, she taught middle school math and worked as an instructional coach in Chicago Public Schools for 10 years.

visit author page

biography

Lee Singleton Whatcom Community College

visit author page

Lee Singleton is a professor at Whatcom Community College, in Bellingham, WA. He holds a BS in mathematics from Harding University, a MS in mathematics and PhD in biomedical mathematics from Florida State University. His current interests include 3D-prin

visit author page

Download Paper | Permalink

Abstract

This NSF-IUSE exploration and design project began in Fall 2018 and features cross-disciplinary collaboration between engineering, math, psychology, and math education faculty to develop learning activities with 3D-printed models for integral calculus and engineering statics. We are exploring how such models can scaffold spatial abilities and support learners’ development of conceptual understanding and representational competence. The project is addressing these questions through parallel work piloting model-based learning activities in the classroom and by investigating specific attributes of the activities in lab studies and focus groups. To date we have developed and piloted a mature suite of activities covering a variety of topics for both calculus and statics.

After a year of classroom implementation and data collection at the institution where the curriculum was developed, the project team recruited math and engineering faculty from three other colleges to pilot the models starting Fall 2020. The goal of this expansion was to increase sample sizes and diversity for statistical analysis of classroom data and to learn about the experiences of faculty as they integrated the curriculum materials into their own courses. The original vision was for faculty to use the models in face-to-face instruction, but the transition to online modality in response to the COVID-19 pandemic forced a rapid pivot during this expansion that we reported on previously. Faculty participants who chose to continue with the project worked to incorporate the models in parallel with their respective efforts to adapt to online teaching.

This poster focuses on the experiences of the participating math faculty. Ultimately these faculty taught online calculus courses both with and without the models from Fall 2020 through Spring 2022. We conducted pre and post participation interviews and report on their experiences. All participants reported their intention to continue to use the models beyond conclusion of the project and planned to try them in face-to-face instruction. The paper will discuss more details about the interview findings and conclude by making some recommendations for others who may be interested in exploring the use of hands-on models in Calculus instruction.

Citation
Format

Davishahl, E., & Rupe, K. M., & Singleton, L. (2023, June), Board 290: Faculty Experiences with Hands-on Models for Calculus Instruction Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--42789

TY - CPAPER
AB - This NSF-IUSE exploration and design project began in Fall 2018 and features cross-disciplinary collaboration between engineering, math, psychology, and math education faculty to develop learning activities with 3D-printed models for integral calculus and engineering statics. We are exploring how such models can scaffold spatial abilities and support learners’ development of conceptual understanding and representational competence. The project is addressing these questions through parallel work piloting model-based learning activities in the classroom and by investigating specific attributes of the activities in lab studies and focus groups. To date we have developed and piloted a mature suite of activities covering a variety of topics for both calculus and statics.

After a year of classroom implementation and data collection at the institution where the curriculum was developed, the project team recruited math and engineering faculty from three other colleges to pilot the models starting Fall 2020. The goal of this expansion was to increase sample sizes and diversity for statistical analysis of classroom data and to learn about the experiences of faculty as they integrated the curriculum materials into their own courses. The original vision was for faculty to use the models in face-to-face instruction, but the transition to online modality in response to the COVID-19 pandemic forced a rapid pivot during this expansion that we reported on previously. Faculty participants who chose to continue with the project worked to incorporate the models in parallel with their respective efforts to adapt to online teaching.

This poster focuses on the experiences of the participating math faculty. Ultimately these faculty taught online calculus courses both with and without the models from Fall 2020 through Spring 2022. We conducted pre and post participation interviews and report on their experiences. All participants reported their intention to continue to use the models beyond conclusion of the project and planned to try them in face-to-face instruction. The paper will discuss more details about the interview findings and conclude by making some recommendations for others who may be interested in exploring the use of hands-on models in Calculus instruction.

AU - Eric Davishahl
AU - Kathryn Mary Rupe
AU - Lee Singleton
CY - Baltimore , Maryland
DA - 2023/06/25
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Board 290: Faculty Experiences with Hands-on Models for Calculus Instruction
UR - https://peer.asee.org/42789
DO - 10.18260/1-2--42789
ER -