Increasing Interest and Success in Science, Math and Engineering Using Active Learning Tools in Precalculus and Calculus

In this proposal, Central Alabama Community College (CACC) strives to create a process that will provide a solid mathematical foundation for all students, thereby providing greater access to and success in careers in science, technology, math and engineering, (STEM) through funding from the CCLI-A&I program. It addresses two specific problems: (1) Inadequate ability of many of our students to apply their math knowledge to their lives and other courses and (2) inadequate lab facilities

The three objectives of this proposal are to:

1. Increase interest and success in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, and
2. Strengthen CACC's programs in these areas by increasing interest and understanding through the use laboratory exercises in math courses.
3. Develop an assessment program enabling continuous improvement in the effectiveness of the project.

Activities to accomplish these objectives include:

1. Development of a course curriculum for lab courses to be taken in conjunction with precalculus, calculus and differential equations that includes activities involving Duke University's Connected Curriculum Project (CCP) labs modified and adapted by the math departments at both Gadsden State Community College (GSCC) and Bevill State Community College (BSCC) as well as others designed by members of this project,

2. Development of assessment tools for precalculus and calculus that will measure students' mastery of material and attitude toward math as they progress through the course.

Intellectual Merit

We believe that our current math curricula focus on the structure and symbolism of math leaves students unable to utilize this information in their academic and professional lives. The intellectual merit of this endeavor lies in the effort to empower our students to develop a more concrete understanding of the concepts of math and the contexts in which it can be useful to them in their lives.

Broader Impact

We believe that many students fail to realize their full potential because of a simple distaste for and fear of math courses. Consequently, if we can remove these obstacles by removing the fear and unplesantness and providing understanding of useful contexts for mathematics, this proposal will have a tremendous impact on the career opportunities for our students.