Collaborative Research: Elevating the Calculus Standard of Care Through an Innovative Collaborative Testbed

About This Grant

This Level 3 IUSE project, a collaborative effort between Florida International University (FIU), California State University San Marcos (CSUSM), Clark College (CC), and the University of Virginia (UVA), aims to improve teaching and learning in introductory calculus courses. Specifically, the project adapts and implements the Modeling Practices in Calculus (MPC) approach, which has been shown to significantly improve learning and success for a broad collection of Calculus I students at FIU. At the core of MPC is the opportunity for students to work cooperatively and discuss key mathematical ideas in a face-to-face, small group setting. The curriculum engages students in the practices of mathematicians, supports students argumentation, and builds important mathematical reasoning and communication skills. This project implements MPC at multiple sites across two overlapping phases, first facilitating adoption and implementation at CSUSM, CC, and UVA, and then identifying three additional partner sites that will join the project in its second year. Calculus remains a key course for many STEM degree programs and can represent a bottleneck for many students. This project uses evidence-based teaching and engagement practices to provide an enriching, collaborative learning environment that has potential to improve student learning and outcomes, thereby increasing the number of students successfully completing STEM degrees in multiple areas of national importance. Project research focuses on three research questions: 1) Faculty focus: How do faculty develop their MPC instructional expertise and what professional development elements are necessary for future propagation efforts? 2) Student focus: How do students develop cognitive and affective skills arising from the adapted MPC instructional designs? 3) Propagation focus: How are Phase 1 partners prepared for establishing a national calculus propagation network? How are new sites successfully recruited and onboarded into project? Data sources include interviews, surveys, weekly faculty reflections, and shared exam questions across project and non-project courses. Project evaluation, carried out by an experienced evaluator and supported by an expert advisory board, will assess project implementation, project and site operations, and overall progress towards goals. Outcomes and findings will be disseminated broadly to encourage further adoption of the MPC approach across institutional contexts. The NSF IUSE: EDU Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.