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Evidence Is Mounting That Calculus Should Be Changed. Will Instructors Heed It?

ED Surge

Calculus is a critical on-ramp to careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Good news: There's mounting evidence that changing calculus instruction works for the groups usually pushed out of STEM. That the traditional lecture method of teaching calculus isn’t as effective as active models.

Calculus 310
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The Math Revolution You Haven’t Heard About

ED Surge

Math professor Martin Weissman is rethinking how his university teaches calculus. Called Math 11 A and B, these classes, which students take as freshmen and sophomores, constitute a “leaky pipeline,” Weissman says. Some educators place a share of the blame on calculus courses, which can push out otherwise interested students.

Math 363
educators

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Colleges Can Make Calculus a Gateway — Not a Gatekeeper — to STEM Fields

ED Surge

But neither will happen unless we address the fundamental gatekeeper to all STEM fields: undergraduate calculus. But the pathway to careers in science and technology is anything but user-friendly, as revealed by the sheer number of college students opting to switch out of a STEM major after facing a college calculus class.

Calculus 360
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UCLA Life Sciences Revamped How It Teaches Math. Is It an Example Others Should Follow?

ED Surge

It was from his dean, who said that the department had inspected their freshman calculus course, “Calculus for Life Sciences.” That call started the years-long process of reworking how the university’s life sciences department teaches math. Unpopular with students, the class didn’t seem to be preparing them for a career in STEM.

Calculus 326
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New Effort Hopes to Make ‘Weed-Out’ Courses More Equitable

ED Surge

The project, funded from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and housed at Educause, prioritizes 20 key gateway courses, including introductory classes in biology, chemistry, English, economics and psychology, as well as math classes like algebra and calculus, and U.S. history surveys.

Chemistry 232
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Creating Gateways in STEM Education

STEM Sport

In this case, they analyze calculus and how the approach around this difficult course has changed in recent years. Colleges Can Make Calculus a Gateway — Not a Gatekeeper — to STEM Fields. But neither will happen unless we address the fundamental gatekeeper to all STEM fields: undergraduate calculus.

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Edit and Share Videos Like a Rock Star

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Free Video Lectures — academic lectures on lots of topics including biology, biotechnology, and calculus. Futures Channel — movies for kids on math and science topics (not as much about the skills as the concepts). Math TV — short videos for students on math skills.