The Workshop Precalculus text is part of the successful Workshop Mathematics Project, based at Dickinson College, Pennsylvania. It combines interactive teaching and collaborative learning such that students become active participants in the learning process. In this new text, this proven pedagogy is used to cover topics in precalculus: linear and quadratic functions, and trig functions, for example.

The purpose of this handbook is to help launch institutional transformations in mathematics departments to improve student success. We report findings from the Student Engagement in Mathematics through an Institutional Network for Active Learning (SEMINAL) study. SEMINAL's purpose is to help change agents, those looking to (or currently attempting to) enact change within mathematics departments and beyond—trying to reform the instruction of their lower division mathematics courses in order to promote high achievement for all students. SEMINAL specifically studies the change mechanisms that allow postsecondary institutions to incorporate and sustain active learning in Precalculus to Calculus 2 learning environments. Out of the approximately 2.5 million students enrolled in collegiate mathematics courses each year, over 90% are enrolled in Precalculus to Calculus 2 courses. Forty-four percent of mathematics departments think active learning mathematics strategies are important for Precalculus to Calculus 2 courses, but only 15 percnt state that they are very successful at implementing them. Therefore, insights into the following research question will help with institutional transformations: What conditions, strategies, interventions and actions at the departmental and classroom levels contribute to the initiation, implementation, and institutional sustainability of active learning in the undergraduate calculus sequence (Precalculus to Calculus 2) across varied institutions?

Educational issues are receiving a great deal of attention in the mathematical sciences community, as concern rises over the quality of instruction in the nation's schools, colleges, and universities. Insuring a mathematically literate population and increasing the number of students pursuing careers in mathematics, science and engineering are high on the list of priorities. Mathematicians can make important contributions to the educational reform process. The present volume is the second in the series Issues in Mathematics Education, launched in 1990 by the Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences and published by the AMS and the Mathematical Association of America. The purpose of the series is to stimulate the flow of information among mathematical scientists, education specialists, and teachers, about innovative efforts to revitalize mathematics education. Compiled and edited by the directors of the Mathematicians and Education Reform (MER) Network, this book contains papers by speakers and participants in MER workshops and special sessions over the last three years. Like the first volume, which also grew out of an MER workshop, this book is organized into two sections, Projects and Issues and Reactions, providing a balance between descriptions of successful existing projects and more in-depth discussion of problems and issues in mathematics education reform. With contributions by some of the major leaders in this area today, this book will likely be of interest to a broad segment of the mathematical sciences community.

This book presents comprehensive results from case studies of three innovations in mathematics education that have much to offer toward understanding current reforms in this field. Each chapter tells the story of a case in rich detail, with extensi ve documentation, and in the voices of many of the participants-the innovators, the teachers, the students. Similarly, Volume 2 of Bold Ventures pre sents the results from case studies of five innovations in science education. Volume 1 provides a cross-case analysis of all eight innovations. Many U.S. readers certainly will be very familiar with the name of at least if not all of the mathematics innovations discussed in this volume-for one example, the NCTM Standards-and probably with their general substance. Much of the education community's familiarity with these" arises from the pro jects' own dissemination efforts. The research reported in this volume, however, is one of the few detailed studies of these innovations undertaken by researchers outside the projects themselves.

This book is an amazing resource for teachers who are struggling to help students develop both procedural fluency and conceptual understanding.. --Dr. Margaret (Peg) Smith, co-author of5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematical Discussions Robert Kaplinsky, the co-creator of Open Middle math problems, brings hisnew class of tasks designed to stimulate deeper thinking and lively discussion among middle and high school students in Open Middle Math: Problems That Unlock Student Thinking, Grades 6-12. The problems are characterized by a closed beginning,- meaning all students start with the same initial problem, and a closed end,- meaning there is only one correct or optimal answer. The key is that the middle is open- in the sense that there are multiple ways to approach and ultimately solve the problem. These tasks have proven enormously popular with teachers looking to assess and deepen student understanding, build student stamina, and energize their classrooms. Professional Learning Resource for Teachers: Open Middle Math is an indispensable resource for educators interested in teaching student-centered mathematics in middle and high schools consistent with the national and state standards. Sample Problems at Each Grade: The book demonstrates the Open Middle concept with sample problems ranging from dividing fractions at 6th grade to algebra, trigonometry, and calculus. Teaching Tips for Student-Centered Math Classrooms: Kaplinsky shares guidance on choosing problems, designing your own math problems, and teaching for multiple purposes, including formative assessment, identifying misconceptions, procedural fluency, and conceptual understanding. Adaptable and Accessible Math: The tasks can be solved using various strategies at different levels of sophistication, which means all students can access the problems and participate in the conversation. Open Middle Math will help math teachers transform the 6th -12th grade classroom into an environment focused on problem solving, student dialogue, and critical thinking.

Classroom Assessment Techniques: Formative Feedback Tools for College and University Teachers A practical, research-based handbook for using assessment to improve learning. This completely revised and updated third edition of Classroom Assessment Techniques provides a research-based, engaging guide to assessing student learning where it matters most—at course and classroom levels. Informed by the latest international educational research and 30 years of classroom assessment practice, this practical handbook is designed for postsecondary teachers from all disciplines, faculty and academic developers, and assessment professionals. It offers field-tested guidance, tools, and advice for planning, designing, and implementing formative assessment in face-to-face, hybrid, and fully online classrooms, analyzing resulting data, and using that data to improve student learning. Classroom Assessment Techniques, 3rd Edition, is a practical, clearly written handbook for busy professionals. It contains a wealth of useful resources, including: 50-plus CATs (classroom assessment techniques) – flexible formative assessment tools easily adaptable for use in a wide range of disciplines and contexts. Case studies and examples illustrating how college and university faculty have applied these techniques to improve learning A new “Course Learning Outcomes Inventory” (CLOI)—a self-assessment tool for identifying and prioritizing the most relevant learning outcomes to assess The original “Teaching Goals Inventory” (TGI) which offers an alternate, teaching-focused approach to setting assessment priorities Multiple ways to quickly find the most appropriate tool. CATs are indexed by discipline examples, Bloom’s Taxonomy, Biggs and Tang’s SOLO Taxonomy, the CLOI, and the TGI Brief chapters explaining what formative assessment is, how it can improve student learning, how to gather and provide formative feedback, how to link classroom assessment with broader/other assessment efforts, and how to collaborate with students and colleagues Each CAT provides a brief, self-contained “recipe” including a description, steps for implementation, dos and don’ts, and relevant references