This
talk reports
the status of ASU’s College Algebra Redesign (CAR) project. The
project’s goals
are to support students in developing skills, understandings,
problem solving
abilities and interest in continuing their mathematics course taking. We will share successes and challenges of
achieving these goals, and we will
report on how the CAR project addresses
Arizona’s shortage of mathematics teachers through a novel program by
recruiting STEM majors to a training program
that prepares them as tutors and
course instructors.
National documents have called for
redesigning College Algebra courses to infuse active learning, problem
solving,
and data analysis into course instruction
(Mathematical
Association of America, 2007). The course
redesign incorporated research results on students’ learning of
algebra,
calculus, and problem solving
into the course curriculum and instruction. The
redesign also addressed three additional components: (a) improving
student
learning and continued mathematics
course taking (b) developing curriculum and
training to support graduate students’ development as highly effective
teachers, and (c) developing a coherent and
quality secondary certification
program for competitively selected, well-prepared, STEM majors who
express
interest in teaching.