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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.

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Readers Respond: Does Fixing the Leaky STEM Pipeline Require Calculus To Adapt?

ED Surge

A number of instructors say it’s partly reconsidering how calculus, a crucial step toward STEM careers and often a “weed out” course in higher ed, is taught. Noticing this, EdSurge traveled to Harvard this summer to observe one attempt at a more subtle revolution, meant to bring calculus instruction into the 21st century.

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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.

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The Role of Mathematics in Education

Ask a Tech Teacher

The Role of Mathematics in Education: What Professions You Can Get in the Future Have you ever found yourself pondering the real-world applications of those algebraic formulas or geometric theorems you spent hours trying to decipher in school? It teaches us problem-solving skills, logical reasoning, and the ability to think abstractly.

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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. The traditional calculus coursework, to people like Garfinkel, is totally outdated.

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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. Some educators place a share of the blame on calculus courses, which can push out otherwise interested students. Meanwhile, the calculus instruction has to be slowed down enough that it’s not as effective for math people as it could be. “I

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Looking Back on the Biggest Education Trends of 2023

ED Surge

2023 brought plenty of surprises in education — and it wasn’t just all that talk about responding to ChatGPT and other AI tools. As we start a new year, we asked our reporters to look back on key trends and memorable moments in their coverage over the past year, and what they see coming.

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