Category Archives: learning

Getting ready for Mathfest

Posted on July 26, 2023 by Matt Boelkins

At Mathfest, Chrissy Safranski and I will be leading a minicourse titled “Teaching Active Calculus using Runestone” that will introduce participants to the Runestone platform. Runestone is a Learning Engineering Analytics Platform that allows students to log in to their … Continue reading →

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A (partial) mastery-grading approach for Active Prelude to Calculus

Posted on January 10, 2021 by Matt Boelkins

For the Fall 2020 Pandemic Semester, I taught two sections of GVSU’s 5-credit MTH 124: Functions and Models, our calculus-prep course. This is the course for which I wrote Active Prelude to Calculus, and this was my first time getting … Continue reading →

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An argument for print textbooks

Posted on August 18, 2019 by Matt Boelkins

Here’s an interesting article regarding the effect of electronic vs print textbooks on student learning when reading for understanding: https://www.businessinsider.com/students-learning-education-print-textbooks-screens-study-2017-10. “Our work has revealed a significant discrepancy. Students said they preferred and performed better when reading on screens. But their … Continue reading →

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How to Use Active Calculus

Posted on August 5, 2019 by Matt Boelkins

I added new sections to the preface of Active Calculus this year, including “Students! Read This!” and “Instructors: Read This!”  My main goal in writing these was to help better ensure that users of the text are aware of some … Continue reading →

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Online versions of Daily Prep Assignments

Posted on September 4, 2018 by Matt Boelkins

One of the ancillaries that we offer to support the use of Active Calculus is a collection of “daily preparation assignments”.   These assignments are modeled on Robert Talbert’s “guided practice” and provide students a short list of concrete tasks to … Continue reading →

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Metacognition in a calculus prep course

Posted on December 16, 2017 by Matt Boelkins

As usual, fall semester flew by. On Monday, August 28, I met with my two classes for the first time, and on that day we did an activity that I recounted in a Facebook post, where I wrote: “I followed … Continue reading →

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