Adjusting the Calculus I curriculum by putting modelling and differential equations literally at its centre leads to a better-organised and better-motivated course. The biggest change is including a section on "qualitative" and "numerical" solutions to ordinary differential equations between the customary sections on…

Calculus education research on integration is coalescing around the theme that teaching integration based on quantitative reasoning is crucial for robust understanding of and usage of integrals. This paper contributes to this International Journal for Research in Undergraduate Education special issue on the teaching and learning of definite…

Following a modeling-first approach to differential equations, inquiry-based learning activities on modeling and controlling the growth of locally relevant species, such as lionfish or sea turtles, are developed by the authors. Emerging exemplary practices are presented, building towards a balanced teaching of differential equations involving…

Recently a teacher friend enquired about the S-I-R equations for disease spread, and what follows was stimulated by that exchange. COVID-19 provides an opportunity to put mathematical flesh on verbal bones such as "self-isolation", "lockdown", "herd immunity", "flattening the curve", "closed…

We share our experience and lessons learned from using Systemic Initiative for Modeling Investigations and Opportunities with Differential Equations (SIMIODE) modeling scenarios in our Differential Equations I class at Middle Tennessee State University. Specific projects with Python codes are presented. Discussions are brought forth on how to…

How should our students think about external forcing in differential equations setting, and how can we help them gain intuition? To address this question, we share a variety of problems and projects that explore the dynamics of the undamped forced spring-mass system. We provide a sequence of discovery-based exercises that foster physical and…

In this article, a numerical method integrated with statistical data simulation technique is introduced to solve a nonlinear system of ordinary differential equations with multiple random variable coefficients. The utilization of Monte Carlo simulation with central divided difference formula of finite difference (FD) method is repeated n times to…

Considering the important role played by mathematical derivatives in the study of physical-chemical processes, this paper discusses the different possibilities and formulations of this concept and its application. In particular, in Chemical Thermodynamics, we study exact differentials associated with the so-called state functions and inexact…

This article addresses the logistics of implementing projects in an undergraduate mathematics class and is intended both for new instructors and for instructors who have had negative experiences implementing projects in the past. Project implementation is given for both lower- and upper-division mathematics courses with an emphasis on mathematical…

There are some mathematical learning models of collaborative learning, with which we can learn how students obtain knowledge and we expect to design effective education. We put together those models and classify into three categories; model by differential equations, so-called Ising spin and a stochastic process equation. Some of the models do not…

The quantitative results of Sources of Self-Efficacy in Science Courses-Physics (SOSESC-P) are presented as a logistic regression predicting the passing of students in introductory Physics with Calculus I, overall as well as disaggregated by gender. Self-efficacy as a theory to explain human behavior change [Bandura [1977] "Psychological…

Two complementary processes involved in mathematical modelling are mathematising a realistic situation and applying a mathematical technique to a given realistic situation. We present and analyse work from two undergraduate students and two secondary school teachers who engaged in both processes during a mathematical modelling task that required…

Recent drug studies have investigated the incidence of blood clots among patients using the Ortho Evra[R] birth control patch. In this article, the author describes an investigation of oestrogen levels in the body resulting from the application of the Ortho Evra[R] birth control patch versus daily use of Ortho-Cyclen[R] birth control pills.…

The solutions of the discrete logistic growth model based on a difference equation and the continuous logistic growth model based on a differential equation are compared and contrasted. The investigation is conducted using a dynamic interactive spreadsheet. (Contains 5 figures.)

The author of this paper submits that a mathematics student needs to learn to conjecture and prove or disprove said conjecture. Ergo, the purpose of the paper is to submit the thesis that learning requires doing; only through inquiry is learning achieved, and hence this paper proposes a programme of use of a modified Moore method in a Bridge to…