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Rethinking how we teach mathematics

Woman with short hair and glasses teaches math to a classroom of students

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Krista Bresock, a WVU instructor, is sharing her passion for math with her students using research she did in Sweden regarding calculus students’ thought processes when solving integrated and visual volume problems.


Quotes & Comments

“My research seems to be uncovering the idea that students tend to learn and understand topics in the same way that they are presented. For example, if a teacher presents the calculus material in a way that is heavily formulaic and dependent on memorized equations instead of on a foundation of deep understanding of the concepts, students will learn the material on a superficial level and not be able to apply the concepts in different and novel mathematical situations. I kept finding that many students would produce wildly inaccurate pictures, but build a correct integral, or they would sketch a perfect picture, but produce a wildly inaccurate integral.” -Krista Bresock, WVU math instructor


“Krista is one of our most dedicated instructors in the Department of Mathematics. She skillfully teaches hundreds of students every year. She cares deeply about the students and goes above and beyond her normal teaching duties to help students succeed. The fact that she is also doing her graduate studies in our department and focusing on discovering more about how students think about and learn calculus is a wonderful added benefit to the department.” -Marjorie Darrah, chair of the Department of Mathematics.


Resources

Link to original story: Rethinking how we teach mathematics

West Virginia University Department of Mathematics

Krista Bresock WVU


Target Audiences

Instructors

Students

Parents of students

Researchers

-WVU-

ck/01/18/19

CONTACT:

Krista Bresock; Instructor

Department of Mathematics

304.293.6091; kristakay@math.wvu.edu


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