Imagine a large randomized controlled trial study of a mathematics educational intervention planned in two large urban districts. District 1 gets a new administrator and drops out. In the meantime, the state test changed, so one of the planned outcome measures is no longer usable. Teacher dropout is high. And, as the analysis is being completed,…

We provide context and motivation for an instructor to use real-life examples in the calculus classroom. To this end we describe two specific project ideas, one related to the devastating impact of methylmercury fungicide in a grain seed supply and the other to a catastrophic methane leak. By using calculus in contexts that have social justice…

Graphical representations are an important tool used to model abstract processes in fields such as chemistry. Successful interpretation of a graph involves a combination of mathematical expertise and discipline-specific content to reason about the relationship between the variables and to describe the phenomena represented. In this work, we…

Our students experience difficulties in working on non-routine mathematical problems. They cannot see the general through special things or instead see things that are special through common things when dealing with mathematical concepts and examples. They cannot see the essential features of the way or recognize it when presented in various…

Over the past 10 years, the authors of this paper have implemented a series of project-based and inquiry-based learning initiatives in the calculus sequence at our institution. These initiatives took place in a department with an existing strong culture supporting teaching innovation and improvement. In this paper, we describe three initiatives in…

We describe a project to restructure the way Applied Calculus is taught at our university to improve student success rates. Eliminating large lecture sections, re-evaluating the needs and expectations of our students, developing uniform course delivery and grading systems, incorporating active learning teaching methods, and focusing on conceptual…

There is a global concern for retention and success of students in higher education engineering programmes, in particular for students from under-represented communities. Low success in engineering programmes can be partly attributed to students failing mathematics or being unable to articulate mathematics in other engineering courses. This…

This study consisted of two stages. In stage A, 38 students were divided randomly into an experimental and a control group. The experimental group received lectures assisted by dynamic geometry software (DGS) and the control group received lectures using chalk and blackboard. The effects of DGS on metacognition and its components were…

This study focused on issues of equity related to small-group participation in a distance learning calculus class. Equity is defined as the fair distribution of opportunities for students to participate and learn. I examined how opportunities for mathematical and social participation were constructed through acts of positioning for four students.…

The aim of this study was to determine the how pre-service mathematics teachers respond to unexpected questions from students about the second derivative. A qualitative research method was used for this purpose, applying a case study framed as an in-depth analysis of how pre-service mathematics teachers respond to students' ideas. The participants…

Improving students' performance in Calculus is a challenge for many colleges and universities. One way of improving students' performance as well as their metacognition and study skills is to provide opportunities for them to receive support outside of the lecture. A modified version of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ)…

The study examines the effectiveness of adaptive learning technology as a supplemental component in online precalculus courses using data from vendor software and a public university system in the southeastern United States. Outcomes examined include final exam score and course completion with a passing grade. The results highlight that not all…

To remain competitive in a global economy, it is important that institutions of higher education provide equitable teaching practices to support female students in STEM (Joseph et al., 2017). Despite this need, teacher-centered teaching practices in calculus courses have become a roadblock for female students passing the course and STEM degree…

We offer many specific detailed examples, several of which are new, that instructors can use (in lecture or as student projects) to revitalize the role of complex variables throughout the curriculum. We conclude with three primary recommendations: revise the syllabus of Calculus II to allow early introductions of complex numbers and linear…

The voltage waveform that minimizes the energy loss in the resistance when charging the capacitor in a resistor-capacitor circuit is investigated using the calculus of variation. A linear voltage ramp gives the best efficiency, which means a constant current source should be used for charging. Comparison between constant current source and…