My Interest in ASCN: David Bressoud

Macalester College
Math/Stat/Comp Sci
Professor

Prior Organizational Change Work

Working with Danny Kaplan at Macalester College and with both FIPSE and NSF-DUE grants, we built a quantitative literacy program that is now a graduation requirement and in its third generation of leadership. Beginning in 2009, I have worked through the Mathematical Association of American and with teams of researchers in undergraduate mathematics education, funded by grants from NSF, to undertake a national study of the state of calculus instruction. The study included case study analyses of programs that are particularly successful. This has now been succeeded by a national effort to understand what issues universities share about the precalculus/calculus sequence, to network institutions with similar concerns and efforts, and to study in depth the process of change at universities that are engaged in revising and reforming these courses.

How ASCN Can Contribute to my Work

I am PI on an NSF grant, Progress through Calculus, that is studying departmental efforts to improve undergraduate mathematics instruction and providing network support for those who are attempting such change.

How I Can Contribute to ASCN

In spring 2015 we conducted a national survey of universities offering graduate degrees in mathematics to assess the kinds of change that are currently underway and to identify candidates for close case study analysis. I can bring this information.