Dr. Allan Donsig will share strategies and resources for breaking free from traditional textbook companies and using online educational materials to improve student success and reduce costs, especially for coordinated service mathematics courses.

Please mark your calendars! If you have any questions or dietary restrictions, please contact Dr. Sean Yee (yee@math.sc.edu).

Thursday, March 5
Time  4:30 p.m.
Location LeConte 444, University of South Carolina

Schedule

4:00 p.m. — Reception in Wyman Williams Room
4:30 p.m. — Lecture in LeConte 444
Dinner afterwards for those interested

First-Year Courses: Challenges and Changes

Abstract

First-year courses are typically the largest and arguably most challenging teaching assignment a mathematics department faces. I will talk about the various components of how the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s math department has addressed this challenge in the last fifteen years, including coordination, professional development for instructors, course redesign, free online homework (WeBWorK), free online textbooks, and a financial model to support ongoing improvements.

This is especially important now, as the pandemic, the use of AI and the drive toward accessible materials each created new challenges and led to new changes. While there is no universal solution to these challenges, some common themes recur.

About the speaker