David C. Webb, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Mathematics Education
Executive Director, Freudenthal Institute US
University of Colorado Boulder
Bio: Dr. David Webb is Associate Professor of Mathematics Education and Affiliate Faculty in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Colorado Boulder. He is also the Executive Director of Freudenthal Institute US, an international research collaborative for mathematics education. He grew up in Los Angeles, received his B.S in Applied Mathematics from UCLA, and was a secondary math teacher in Southern California. He later earned his MA in math education from UC Santa Barbara, and PhD in Mathematics Education from the University of Wisconsin. His interests include teachers’ formative assessment practices, curriculum development, and the design of professional development activities.
Recent research projects include the study of the relationship between the design of mathematics simulations, teacher practice and student engagement as part of the NSF-funded Teaching and Learning Algebraic Thinking project (phet.colorado.edu). He is also currently working with faculty at CU-Boulder, San Diego State and University of Nebraska to better understand how to sustain success in implementing active learning in undergraduate mathematics classes and how to influence similar success at other institutions as part of the NSF-funded Student Engagement in Mathematics through an Institutional Network for Active Learning (SEMINAL) project (www.aplu.org/SEMINAL).
Title: Active Learning Design Principles: A Vision for Student Engagement and Learning in Undergraduate STEM Education
Abstract: What is active learning? How might instructional materials and pedagogical decisions create opportunities to increase students’ active engagement in undergraduate STEM courses? What is practical and possible in the various instructional contexts? Increasing opportunities for active learning is supported by research that has demonstrated how these approaches can result in enhanced student motivation, learning gains, and increased persistence in subsequent STEM courses. In this presentation, design principles for active learning will be used to articulate a vision for classroom practice. Various practical strategies will be presented that can be used to encourage sense making, argumentation and student-to-student interaction. Applications of improvement science and related metrics to inform ongoing improvements will also be discussed.