This article presents a reflection on a teaching experience involving the use of the Brügner tangram, an interesting but little-known manipulative material. It details an activity conducted as part of an undergraduate mathematics education course for prospective primary school teachers. The main objective of this paper is to present the…

In this paper, we present an overview of a series of 1-credit applied problem solving courses. The goal of these courses was to help students develop their oral and written communication skills, ability to work as a team, and general problem solving skills through preparation and participation in the Mathematical Contest in Modeling (MCM) and…

In the fall of 2009 and in the spring of 2012, supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) in the National Institutes of Health (NIH), we designed a course "Phylogenetic Analysis and Molecular Evolution" (PAME), the first cross-listed course across three different colleges (College of Arts and Sciences,…

We discuss an innovative course model used in first-year calculus courses at a large North American research university, which we refer to as the "Blended Model." We argue that our model takes the best features of lectures, flipped classrooms, and traditional recitations, and gathers them into a cohesive, robust structure that benefits…

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…

Addressed toward course coordinators and departmental leaders interested in redesigning an undergraduate mathematics course, we highlight the steps our team at the University of Maryland, College Park has taken in bringing active learning to our Precalculus course. We provide examples of ways in which we have coordinated active learning across…

This paper is written to provide ideas and guide faculty who want to design a mathematical modeling course for undergraduate mathematics majors and minors. We discuss course goals, assignments, and projects that can be used to help students gain experience relevant for careers and mathematical modeling opportunities. The authors designed this…

In this note, I argue for and discuss my experiences with explicitly incorporating principles of critical and creative thinking in a transitions course which serves mathematics, mathematics education, and statistics majors. I describe several specific assignments and classroom tasks designed to enhance critical and creative thinking. I also…