Almost all finite groups encountered by undergraduates can be represented as multiplicative groups of concise block-diagonal binary matrices. Such representations provide simple examples for beginning a group theory course. More importantly, these representations provide concrete models for "abstract" concepts. We describe Maple lab…

A growing body of research supports writing as a means to learn mathematics. Although introductory courses have benefited the most from the spread of this mode of learning, writing may be promoted in advanced courses. This paper reports on writing tasks in a complex analysis course where the primary goal was for students to investigate…

A summative portfolio is a project completed at the end of the semester that gives a student an opportunity to look at a course as a whole. This study investigates whether collegiate mathematics students gain a deeper understanding of course material through the portfolio project, via an analysis of the students' work, and a survey of students'…

In this paper, I present a homework system that supports a flipped classroom environment using only a textbook for students' first contact with the material. Motivated by David Pengelley's homework system, each unit of material has four key components: Core Assignments, Conceptual Assignments, In-class Worksheets, and Follow-up Assignments. The…

My goal in crafting homework in calculus is twofold: to provide scaffolding for students to develop a theoretical understanding of calculus concepts and to incorporate good mathematical exposition, including justification and proof when appropriate. I achieve these goals by creating weekly homework sets that students work on in groups of three or…

This paper aims to illustrate a design cycle of inquiry-based mathematics activities. We highlight a series of questions that we use when creating inquiry-based materials, testing and evaluating those materials, and revising the materials following this evaluation. These questions highlight the many decisions necessary to find just the right tasks…

Linear algebra students are typically introduced to the problem of how to convert from one coordinate system to another in a very abstract way. Often, two bases for a given vector space are provided, and students are taught how to determine a transition matrix to be used for changing coordinates. If students are successful in memorizing this…

This article discusses preparation assignments used in a Calculus II course that cover material from prerequisite courses. Prior to learning new material, students work on problems outside of class involving concepts from algebra, trigonometry, and Calculus I. These problems are directly built upon in order to answer Calculus II questions,…

In this paper, we discuss active learning in College Algebra at Georgia Gwinnett College. This approach has been used in more than 20 sections of College Algebra taught by the authors in the past four semesters. Students work in small, structured groups on guided inquiry activities after watching 15-20 minutes of videos before class. We discuss a…

It is common for freshmen students to enter Calculus I with a wide range of levels of preparation and mastery of background material. In addition, many of the students struggle with the adjustment from high school to college. In an effort to help the students to solidify their understanding of concepts as they progress through the course, as well…

This article will describe a writing assignment designed for use in a liberal arts college whose mission stresses effective written communication both within and across disciplines. In this assignment, students write three separate solutions to the same mathematics problem: one for a mathematical peer, a second for a contemporary that does not…

Flipped classrooms and inquiry-based learning (IBL) have each become popular in their own right, leading to a natural question: Why not combine these two great ideas? Although flipping a class usually involves students reading or watching videos before class, and IBL focuses on allowing and encouraging students to develop material on their own,…

We consider a variety of writing assignments used for two general education mathematics courses. The student writing ranges from brief informal pieces to more formal assignments that address the full scope of a course, with an emphasis on encouraging students to have a richer experience of mathematical people and ideas and of their own learning.…

Over the last four years of the senior capstone seminar at Western Carolina University, we have redesigned the course substantially to comply with our institutional Quality Enhancement Plan for engaged student learning and to follow the guidelines proposed by the Mathematical Association of America's Committee on Undergraduate Programs in…

Developing students' abilities to communicate technical information is increasingly becoming a higher priority. A calculus course is an appropriate setting for the beginning of this development. In particular, this article relates the details behind a letter-writing assignment that the author has created to address this development.