Abstract
In this work, we discuss the development of descriptive actions that facilitators take in semester-long online professional development geared at supporting instructional change at the undergraduate level. Current work in undergraduate mathematics education includes various large-scale projects aimed to support individuals or departments in reforming their instruction to align with recommendations from professional organizations and existing mathematics education research standards. One research area that has recently grown is the use of online synchronous environments to form collaborations to support the inclusion of student-centered instruction in mathematics. This paper discusses the actions that facilitators take in these collaborative environments and highlights how these actions supported the overall goal of the semester-long online faculty development.
Acknowledgment
We want to acknowledge the profound loss of our co-author, colleague, and friend, Dr. Karen Allen Keene. She passed away on February 12, 2023 before this manuscript had been accepted. Her contributions to this work were profound and we are grateful for the support that she provided us in our careers and lives. She will be missed.
DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Additional information
Funding
Notes on contributors
Nicholas Fortune
Nicholas Fortune is an Associate Professor of Mathematics Education at Western Kentucky University. He received his PhD in mathematics education from North Carolina State University and his master’s in applied mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. His research centers around instructional change in undergraduate mathematics and how mathematics faculty can collaborate on pedagogy and student thinking to support their instructional change.
William Hall
William Hall is an Assistant Professor at Washington State University in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics. He received his PhD in mathematics education from North Carolina State University. His research includes the preparation of preservice secondary mathematics teachers and training graduate TAs to teach mathematics. His research also addresses the teaching and learning of calculus, particularly definite integrals and accumulation.
Ralph Chikhany
Ralph Chikhany is a Clinical Assistant Professor at New York University. His primary research focuses on the teaching and learning of undergraduate mathematics, specifically business mathematics and calculus. He is planning on expanding this research to include areas and topics for non-STEM majors taking mathematics courses.
Karen Allen Keene
Karen Allen Keene was an Associate Professor of Mathematics Education and department head of STEM Education at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. She conducted research in undergraduate mathematics education, primarily concerning differential equations teaching and learning. Her second area of research lied within secondary teacher education, focusing on teachers’ content knowledge and how it connects to their teaching and curriculum development. Sadly, during the publication process of this article, Dr. Karen Allen Keene passed away on Sunday, February 12, 2023. Her contributions to this work, and undergraduate mathematics education, are vast. She will be missed.