Twenty-fifth International Conference on Learning

Abstract

An active learning strategy employed a sequence of PowerPoint tableaus to generate student discourse in three sections of linear algebra (n=63). Each tableau presented a conceptual question followed by two sample responses with the possibility of both being correct, only one of them correct, or both incorrect. The questions were suggested by research and focused on common student misconceptions. Students were polled individually on which of the responses they thought were correct, if any, and a tally of responses was recorded. Groups of three were then formed to discuss their reasoning among peers and a final poll was then tallied. Results indicate that after peer discussions many correctly revised their answers and for most tableaus the majority of the students selected the correct answer on the final poll. Surveys conducted at the end of the semester revealed that most (90%) agreed or strongly agreed that the tableaus and associated discussions had a positive impact on their understanding and (65%) supported its continued use in the course. Open ended questions on the survey suggest that the perception of the strategy held by high scoring students differed from those held by low scoring students and suggestions for improved implementation of the active learning strategy were offered. However, more research is warranted given that the strategy promoted an unusually high level of student engagement and discourse with the potential to improve relational understanding of challenging mathematical topics.