Inquiry-Based Learning in Mathematics at the University of Michigan

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Mathematical Sciences (21). A Center for Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) in mathematics is being developed, and the Center has incorporated inquiry-based methods into several mathematics courses. The main goal of the project is to develop IBL materials and continue to refine and integrate IBL techniques into the mathematics curriculum. Courses include upper division courses for mathematics majors and pre-service teachers. An important component of the project is to train faculty, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows in the use of inquiry-based methods and to encourage the use of these techniques at other institutions. Another critical component of the project is the evaluation of (1) the materials being developed and (2) inquiry-based learning and its implementation.Intellectual merit. The intellectual merit of the project lies in the development of students to help sharpen their analytic skills and better enable them to attack problems independently and creatively, and in the training program to prepare faculty, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows to teach IBL courses.Broader impacts. The IBL materials being developed are available to other institutions. Likewise, through the training of graduate students (teaching assistants) and post-doctoral fellows, many of whom teach at other institutions, the methods and lessons learned from the project are impacting a large number and variety of institutions of higher education. Additional impact is occurring through the Center for Inquiry-Department Learning, which is a member of the Education Advancement Foundation - an organization that promotes development and dissemination of inquiry-based learning in mathematics.