1. Dr. Angie Hodge University of Nebraska Omaha
IBL Calculus
Dr. Angie Hodge
University of Nebraska Omaha

2. Who are we? Angie Hodge, Ph.D. Associate professor of mathematics
Project NeXT National Fellow (Sun dot)
Special Projects Coordinator for the Academy of Inquiry-Based Learning
User of IBL since 2007
Ultra marathon runner

3. WHY Calculus??
Calculus is considered the “gateway” course for many STEM disciplines
Many students are NOT successful in Calculus I, and of those that are, many struggle in Calculus II
Desire to increase the quantity and quality of future math teachers

4. What does IBL Calculus mean?
Students are activity engaged
Few traditional lectures are given
Activities selected to guide students into developing their own understandings

5. What does IBL Calculus look like at UNO?
The classroom – START with a room well-suited for group work – tables!
Little introduction – worksheets distributed regularly with students working together
Traditional University Calculus textbook

6. Group Structure Depends on instructor
Me - students self-select groups at the beginning of the semester
Shop around for 1-2 weeks before picking groups
Others - switch on some consistent basis

7. Homework & Assessments?
Homework collected and graded for completion DAILY
Take-home quizzes given WEEKLY
Two-part tests (in-class & take-home) given every three weeks
Tests are significantly HARDER than before IBL

8. IBL part of the assessment?
Students graded on participation in class, with points awarded for level of work within the small group activities
Student presentations required, with points awarded for work presented to the entire class

9. Group activities?
Our first IBL activities for the classroom were developed with ideas from Advanced Placement Calculus
Our recent IBL worksheets have been being developed since 2012 for Calculus I and Calculus II
TACTivities developed starting in 2014

10. Sample Classroom Activity
Conclusions about properties of graphs and their derivatives developed after activity completed

11. Integral Dominoes! Matching integrals to their antiderivatives
Self-checking

12. Outside of Class Activities
Homework room is held daily – students worked together on assignments
Instructor meets with groups of students to provide suggestions – not answers!
Group work on take-home quizzes

13. Did IBL work in Calculus?
Student reaction – slow to accept active role in classroom at first, but now our IBL sections are the first to fill
Success rate in passing calculus? INCREASED!
Success rate in IBL calculus is higher than in non-IBL calculus sections
Only 1 student failed my Calc II class this spring!!! (and he didn’t come to class)

14. Other measures of success?
Classroom attendance was VERY HIGH – students knew if they were absent, they would miss out! There was good reason to come to class!
A number of students switched to Math/Math Education majors after the IBL Calculus experience

15. What REALLY work for us at UNO?
Working as a TEAM
Hard work – finding good activities, creating good assessments
Bouncing ideas off each other – sharing efforts REALLY made a difference!!

16. Future of IBL Calculus
A strong network of IBL faculty at UNO and across Nebraska is growing.
Refinement and extension of activities made publically available