Activating Calculus to Command the Seas: Reflecting on Ten Years of Active and Inquiry-Based Learning at the US Naval Academy

• Published in: PRIMUS : problems, resources, and issues in mathematics undergraduate studies resources, and issues in mathematics undergraduate studies, 2021, Vol.31 (3-5), p.449-466
• Main Authors: Ksir, Amy E., Allman, Justin M., Hetherington, Noble, Selbach-Allen, Megan E., Skipper, Daphne
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Active Learning; Armed Forces; Calculus; College Faculty; Communities of Practice; Course Descriptions; Departments; Faculty Development; Higher education; Inquiry; Inquiry method; inquiry-based learning; Instructional Leadership; Leadership; Learning; Mathematics Instruction; Mathematics Tests; Military Training; Professional Autonomy; project-based learning; Redesign; Scores; Seminars; Student Projects; Teaching Methods; Undergraduate Students
• ISSN: 1051-1970; 1935-4053
• DOI: 10.1080/10511970.2020.1772922

Over the past 10 years, the authors of this paper have implemented a series of project-based and inquiry-based learning initiatives in the calculus sequence at our institution. These initiatives took place in a department with an existing strong culture supporting teaching innovation and improvement. In this paper, we describe three initiatives in detail. We describe how in one, a syllabus redesign allowed for more instructor autonomy. In another, we were able to significantly improve student buy-in. We describe key support we received from our department and institutional leadership at each stage, as well as from working in community with each other. Finally, by looking at the long arc of change in our department, we hope to encourage others who are encountering roadblocks. By working in community, we have created an environment where active learning can flourish.