Catalyst Project: Broadening Participation Research for College Algebra Teachers

催化剂项目为历史上的黑人学院和大学（HBCU）提供支持，致力于建立教师的研究能力，以加强科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）本科教育和研究。预计该奖项将进一步提高教师的研究能力，改善研究和教学机构，并参与本科生的研究经验。弗吉尼亚州立大学与迪拉德大学合作，提出在语言，识字和话语中发展数学概念，作为增加大学代数可及性的一种手段。具体而言，该项目旨在将代数项目的内容和教学方法纳入大学代数的实验部分。 代数项目强调共享的具体事件和学生话语，这一方法与大学数学课程的传统结构不同。该项目旨在通过解决大学代数到微积分过渡中的一个根本问题来扩大STEM的参与。该项目的目的是产生一个实验性的大学代数课程的基础上的数学内容和教学法，在过去的二十年中开发的代数项目。大学代数的主题重建-基于代数项目的体验式学习模式-持有的承诺，加深学生对大学代数的理解，同时提供了一个概念和程序的基础，微积分和定量科学的研究，依赖于它的学生群体，传统上没有获得这门课程的研究。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Catalyst Projects provide support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to work towards establishing research capacity of faculty to strengthen science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) undergraduate education and research. It is expected that the award will further the faculty member's research capability, improve research and teaching at the institution, and involve undergraduate students in research experiences. Virginia State University, in collaboration with Dillard University, proposes to develop mathematical concepts in language, literacy, and discourse as a means of increasing accessibility to College Algebra. Specifically, the project seeks to incorporate aspects of the Algebra Project’s approach to content and pedagogy into experimental sections of College Algebra. The Algebra Project’s emphasis on shared concrete events and student discourse distinguishes this approach from the conventional structure of college math courses.This project seeks to broaden participation in STEM by addressing an underlying issue in the College Algebra to Calculus Transition. This project aims to produce an experimental College Algebra course based upon the mathematics content and pedagogy developed over the past twenty years within the Algebra Project. This thematic reconstruction of College Algebra – based upon the Algebra Project’s experiential learning model – holds the promise of deepening student understanding of College Algebra and simultaneously providing a conceptual and procedural foundation for the study of Calculus and the quantitative sciences that depend upon it for student populations that traditionally have not had access to this course of study.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.