All Questions
9
questions
15
votes
15
answers
7k
views
Students can't seem to grasp the intent of tangent lines and getting general trends of derivatives from graphs
Background
I'm informally helping a few students with college Calc 1. This isn't the first time I've aided people with calculus, and so they've sought me for help, though I don't consider myself to ...
- 291
7
votes
2
answers
261
views
How to catch students from different subjects' interest to math?
I have just started to teach Calculus to freshmans and sophomores who study non-mathematical subjects, e.g., international relations, psychology. They have to take few mathematics classes -including ...
- 311
28
votes
4
answers
1k
views
The Undergraduate Responsibility Gradient
We tell undergraduate students that they should study two to three hours for every hour they spend in class. We know that many students don't follow through with this nearly to the degree that they ...
- 6,173
16
votes
2
answers
530
views
Nontraditional calculus recitations
I'm a math grad student, and next semester I start TAing a calculus class for the first time. We all know about the standard recitations: instructor gives short lecture on some more difficult topic ...
- 300
11
votes
6
answers
1k
views
How can I convince students that Fourier series are useful?
Main question: Calculating the coefficients of a Fourier series can be difficult and time-consuming. How might a student be motivated/convinced to go through these (potentially tedious) details? Are ...
- 1,243
20
votes
3
answers
2k
views
What to do when a majority of students have insufficient mastery of the prerequisite material?
I'm currently teaching a second-semester calculus course in which a significant percentage of my students (over half) either tested into the course just out of high school, took a much easier first ...
- 1,723
20
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Evaluating the reception of (epsilon, delta) definitions
Both education researchers and mathematicians discuss the challenge of (epsilon, delta) type definitions in real analysis and the student reception of them. My impression has been that mathematicians ...
- 2,238
4
votes
1
answer
132
views
Would chapter mini-projects be more beneficial than weekly homework for large classes n>100
I am trying something new this semester in my Calculus classes. I currently have over 400 students, and there is no way I can find the time to grade and give constructive criticism on all the ...
- 1,218
27
votes
6
answers
795
views
Would taking 5 minutes to explain the history behind a mathematical idea help stimulate learning the idea?
I read a paper in my "Research Issues in Mathematical Education" class that I have applied to the Undergraduate Calculus I and Calculus II class that I teach. I take five minutes to explain the ...
- 1,218