The need to incorporate active learning (AL) in higher education has become a prominent issue discussed by major leadership organizations such as the Conference Board of Mathematical Sciences (CBMS, 2016). These calls for AL are based on a large and growing body of research documenting the correlation between AL use and reduced failure rates,…

We describe the development and initial validity assessment of the 20-item BioCalculus Assessment (BCA), with the objective of comparing undergraduate life science students' understanding of calculus concepts in different courses with alternative emphases (with and without focus on biological applications). The development process of the BCA…

This study aimed to develop and validate the Attitude Toward Calculus Inventory (ATCI). Results from three studies are reported that establish the reliability and validity of this instrument. An examination of the factor structure confirms that student attitudes can be explained in terms of four factors: self-confidence, value, enjoyment, and…

Peer assessment typically requires students to judge peers' work against assessment criteria. We tested an alternative approach in which students judged pairs of scripts against one another in the absence of assessment criteria. First year mathematics undergraduates (N?=?194) sat a written test on conceptual understanding of multivariable…

The aim of this study was to develop a tool to measure levels of mathematical knowledge gained in high school, as perceived by incoming engineering students. The study included 657 engineering students in the 2011-2012 academic year. Factor analysis was used to obtain a scale consisting of 47 items (Cronbach Alpha coefficient, 0.975). The…