Introductory calculus is mandatory for postsecondary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors (Bressoud, 2015); however, many students do not persist through introductory calculus to further STEM study (Rasmussen et al., 2019). One reason for this may be that students struggle with the prior mathematical knowledge required…

Gateway courses are high-enrollment, low completion introductory courses foundational to a major. Because these courses have a disproportionately negative impact on the retention and persistence of Latinx students to their desired STEM major, we refer to these understudied, high-stakes courses as gatekeeping courses. Framing our exploratory study…

This study explores how the goals and enactment of three tailored calculus courses, referred to as course variations (standard calculus, life sciences calculus, and physics calculus), at the same university impact students' mathematical identity. In this mixed-methods study, we draw on the framework of figured worlds to interpret how students'…

Undergraduate mathematics education can be experienced in discouraging and marginalizing ways among Black students, Latin* students, and white women. Precalculus and calculus courses, in particular, operate as gatekeepers that contribute to racialized and gendered attrition in persistence with mathematics coursework and pursuits in STEM (science,…

We discuss an implementation of the research-based Pathways precalculus curriculum in a large-lecture format supported by recitations, clickers, and online homework. We describe our approach to adapting the implementation of Pathways precalculus from a small class to a large lecture instructional format. We report data on student learning and…

The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate the relationships between student persistence and students' attributes or perceptions of instructional pedagogies, as well as to examine whether the identified relationships are moderated by three different instructional settings. Improving student persistence in science, technology, engineer, and…

The flipped classroom model interchanges the roles of in-class and out-of-class time to allow students more time to engage with cognitively demanding tasks when expert help from their instructor is more available. An extensive body of literature supports the effectiveness of this model. In contrast, I present a case study of a less-successful…

Various research studies have established that nearly half of all students who decide to pursuit a math, science, or engineering field change their mind and seek a different major. The National Center for Education Statistics shows a decrease in the number of degrees in engineering and related fields from 36,900 degrees in the 2003-2004 academic…

This paper examines the impact of departmental policy changes on the trend in DFW proportions for introductory calculus at a large research university, where DFW denotes the proportion of students receiving a grade of D, F, or withdrawing from the course. We defined three distinct policy periods: Traditional (2002-2005), Active Learning (SCALE-UP)…

This case study details the integration of an online grading platform in a Calculus program. Initially implemented to increase the efficiency and quality of grading written assessments in a large undergraduate program, the effects were many and surprising. Two main concerns surfaced that we needed to address, namely: (1) consistency in grading;…

Students' abilities and interests vary dramatically in the college mathematics classroom. How do we teach all of these students effectively? In this paper, we present the Point Reward System (PRS), a new method of assessment that addresses this problem. We designed the PRS with three main goals in mind: to increase the retention rates; to keep all…

It is well documented that the use of active learning strategies increases student learning (Freeman et al., 2014; Prince, 2004; Springer, Stanne, & Donovan, 1999). A key difficulty in innovating college mathematics is identifying and sustaining what works for both students and the faculty. This study discusses efforts to innovate and sustain…

This paper describes the development of a Peer-Led Guided Inquiry (PLGI) program for teaching calculus at the University of South Florida. This approach uses the POGIL (Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning) teaching strategy and the small group learning model PLTL (Peer-Led Team Learning). The developed materials used a learning cycle based on…

Over a period of six years, three different types of recitation sessions were implemented into the large enrollment section of a college calculus course. During the fall semesters, the results on the departmental final examination, the DFW rates, and the one-year retention rates of students as STEM majors were examined by the type of recitation…

This five-year study of the peer-led team learning (PLTL) paradigm examined its implementation in a Calculus I course at an all-male HBCU institution. For this study we set up a strong control group and measured the effect of PLTL in the teaching and learning of Calculus I through two points of measure: retention and success rates and learning…