The purpose of this handbook is to help launch institutional transformations in mathematics departments to improve student success. We report findings from the Student Engagement in Mathematics through an Institutional Network for Active Learning (SEMINAL) study. SEMINAL's purpose is to help change agents, those looking to (or currently attempting to) enact change within mathematics departments and beyond—trying to reform the instruction of their lower division mathematics courses in order to promote high achievement for all students. SEMINAL specifically studies the change mechanisms that allow postsecondary institutions to incorporate and sustain active learning in Precalculus to Calculus 2 learning environments. Out of the approximately 2.5 million students enrolled in collegiate mathematics courses each year, over 90% are enrolled in Precalculus to Calculus 2 courses. Forty-four percent of mathematics departments think active learning mathematics strategies are important for Precalculus to Calculus 2 courses, but only 15 percnt state that they are very successful at implementing them. Therefore, insights into the following research question will help with institutional transformations: What conditions, strategies, interventions and actions at the departmental and classroom levels contribute to the initiation, implementation, and institutional sustainability of active learning in the undergraduate calculus sequence (Precalculus to Calculus 2) across varied institutions?

Active and Transformative Learning in STEAM Disciplines is a unique reference volume for the new student-centric and objectives-oriented learning environment where individual and team learning paths enhance problem solving capabilities.

Education today demands innovative approaches that go beyond traditional teaching methods. This book brings together leading research on active pedagogy to offer educators practical tools for enhancing student engagement and deepening understanding. The chapters explore diverse strategies, from integrating systems thinking in biological education to applying neuroeducation insights in active learning environments. By focusing on problem-solving, critical thinking, and interactive learning techniques, the book equips educators with the means to foster both conceptual and procedural skills. At its core, this work advocates a learner-centered approach, emphasizing collaboration between students and educators to coregulate knowledge construction. By blending cognitive science with dynamic teaching methods, the book offers actionable strategies that prepare students for complex, real-world challenges. We hope this collection inspires educators to rethink traditional practices and embrace new, learner-driven approaches for a more engaging and effective educational experience.

"This book examines the experiences of a cohort of 16 Black male math majors. It amplifies the participants' voices to chronicle their persistence in the major. Using Black masculinity and critical race theory, the author employs an asset-based approach to tell a captivating story about this cohort within a racially affirming learning community. This book showcases the nation's top producer of Black male math majors, extends the knowledge base regarding HBCUs' multigenerational legacy of success, and makes a significant contribution to the growing body of discipline-based education research. In so doing, the author provides recommendations for families, educators, policymakers, and researchers to improve Black boys' and men's mathematics achievement outcomes"--

This publication is for faculty, administrators, and other academic leaders who are poised to mount comprehensive STEM reforms to improve student learning and success, particularly for students from underrepresented minority groups. Based on the experiences of eleven colleges and universities in the Keck/PKAL STEM Education Effectiveness Framework project, the Guide contains advice on getting started, team and leader development, project management, and sustaining change. It also includes benchmarks, key questions for analysis, timeline information, challenge alerts to help anticipate common roadblocks, and a rubric to help campus teams gauge their progress. Examples from case studies developed by campus teams who participated in the project provide real-world illustrations.

Blended learning is firmly established in universities around the world, yet to date little attention has been paid to how students are enaging with this style of learning. Presenting a theoretically-based and empirically-validated model of engagement, this book examines the application of the model to improve the quality and productivity of university education. Covering the key qualities of blended learning, it analyses how online learning influences campus-based education, develops the student perspective of online learning, examines online learning systems as agents of change, provides insights and guidance for educational developers and administrators attempting to improve quality of learning, and considers how institutions can maximise educational returns from large investments in online learning technologies. Illustrated with case studies and developing ideas for practice, this book will be valuable reading for researchers and developers keen to improve their understanding of the emerging dynamics of contemporary student engagement with online learning.

This monograph examines the nature of active learning at the higher education level, the empirical research on its use, the common obstacles and barriers that give rise to faculty resistance, and how faculty and staff can implement active learning techniques. A preliminary section defines active learning and looks at the current climate surrounding the concept. A second section, entitled "The Modified Lecture" offers ways that teachers can incorporate active learning into their most frequently used format: the lecture. The following section on classroom discussion explains the conditions and techniques needed for the most useful type of exchange. Other ways to promote active learning are also described including: visual learning, writing in class, problem solving, computer-based instruction, cooperative learning, debates, drama, role playing, simulations, games, and peer teaching. A section on obstacles to implementing active learning techniques leads naturally to the final section, "Conclusions and Recommendations," which outlines the roles that each group within the university can play in order to encourage the implementation of active learning strategies. The text includes over 200 references and an index. (JB)

There are over 20 million young people of color in the United States whose representation in STEM education pathways and in the STEM workforce is still far below their numbers in the general population. Their participation could help re-establish the United States' preeminence in STEM innovation and productivity, while also increasing the number of well-educated STEM workers. There are nearly 700 minority-serving institutions (MSIs) that provide pathways to STEM educational success and workforce readiness for millions of students of colorâ€"and do so in a mission-driven and intentional manner. They vary substantially in their origins, missions, student demographics, and levels of institutional selectivity. But in general, their service to the nation provides a gateway to higher education and the workforce, particularly for underrepresented students of color and those from low-income and first-generation to college backgrounds. The challenge for the nation is how to capitalize on the unique strengths and attributes of these institutions and to equip them with the resources, exceptional faculty talent, and vital infrastructure needed to educate and train an increasingly critical portion of current and future generations of scientists, engineers, and health professionals. Minority Serving Institutions examines the nation's MSIs and identifies promising programs and effective strategies that have the highest potential return on investment for the nation by increasing the quantity and quality MSI STEM graduates. This study also provides critical information and perspective about the importance of MSIs to other stakeholders in the nation's system of higher education and the organizations that support them.

This book reports on an innovative study into the first five years of mathematics teaching: FIRSTMATH. For the first time, the study has developed a viable methodology to analyze the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of beginning mathematics teachers as well as instruments to explore the contexts where they work. The book provides a step by step account of this exploratory (proof-of-concept) research study, using a comparative and international approach, and introduces readers to the challenges entailed. The FIRSTMATH study promises the development of methods and strategies to make it possible for teacher educators and future teachers to examine (and improve on) their own practices in an important STEM area.

Praise for How Learning Works "How Learning Works is the perfect title for this excellent book. Drawing upon new research in psychology, education, and cognitive science, the authors have demystified a complex topic into clear explanations of seven powerful learning principles. Full of great ideas and practical suggestions, all based on solid research evidence, this book is essential reading for instructors at all levels who wish to improve their students' learning." —Barbara Gross Davis, assistant vice chancellor for educational development, University of California, Berkeley, and author, Tools for Teaching "This book is a must-read for every instructor, new or experienced. Although I have been teaching for almost thirty years, as I read this book I found myself resonating with many of its ideas, and I discovered new ways of thinking about teaching." —Eugenia T. Paulus, professor of chemistry, North Hennepin Community College, and 2008 U.S. Community Colleges Professor of the Year from The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education "Thank you Carnegie Mellon for making accessible what has previously been inaccessible to those of us who are not learning scientists. Your focus on the essence of learning combined with concrete examples of the daily challenges of teaching and clear tactical strategies for faculty to consider is a welcome work. I will recommend this book to all my colleagues." —Catherine M. Casserly, senior partner, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching "As you read about each of the seven basic learning principles in this book, you will find advice that is grounded in learning theory, based on research evidence, relevant to college teaching, and easy to understand. The authors have extensive knowledge and experience in applying the science of learning to college teaching, and they graciously share it with you in this organized and readable book." —From the Foreword by Richard E. Mayer, professor of psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara; coauthor, e-Learning and the Science of Instruction; and author, Multimedia Learning