Pedagogies of Mathematics in and for Engineering

This Level 1 IUSE Engaged Student Learning project from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln aims to serve the national interest by improving college instruction of mathematics in and for engineering. Calculus and other first-year mathematics courses are important part of undergraduate engineering programs. For this reason, improved calculus outcomes are key to better retention and overall success of engineering students. Instructors in both mathematics and engineering courses often need to connect mathematical approaches with engineering concepts. This project will study how instructors perceive and take advantage of opportunities to make these critical connections. A better understanding of the connections between mathematical reasoning and engineering concepts is essential to the professional development of postsecondary instructors. Project research will explore “dual justification” opportunities, where students might be engaged to switch back and forth between mathematics concepts and engineering consequences. The project will also study how instructors perceive these opportunities and interpret student thinking in instructional situations with the potential for dual justification. Data sources include interviews and focus groups with students and faculty from mathematics and engineering. The project team will be supported by an expert advisory board with experience in mathematics and engineering education. Outcomes will be disseminated broadly to communities of interest through faculty workshops and other conference presentations, a project website and publications aimed at both the research and practitioner communities. The NSF IUSE: EDU Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. NSF Award ID: 2613397 | Program: 04002627DB NSF STEM Education | Principal Investigator: YJ Yvonne Lai | Institution: University of Nebraska-Lincoln, LINCOLN, NE | Award Amount: $399,517 View on NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award/?AWD_ID=2613397 View on Research.gov: https://www.research.gov/awardapi-service/v1/awards/2613397.html