The following are selected active learning materials from courses that I've recently taught at UW, along with a brief description of each course and the context of the assignments.
Math 308 – Matrix Algebra with Applications
In Spring 2019, I taught Math 308 in a hybrid format; every Friday our traditional lecture was replaced by an inquiry-based activity. The class was mostly made up of underclassmen in math and sciences, and it was not proof-based. The activities were intended to give students opportunities to discover core linear algebra results through examples and computations, and to foster discussion of the material and its applications.
| Gaussian elimination and systems of equations | Worksheet Solutions |
| Subspaces and bases | Worksheet Solutions |
| Eigenvalues and diagonalization | Worksheet Solutions |
Math 445 – Geometry for Teachers
In Summer 2019, I taught Math 445 in an active learning environment, covering discrete and convex geometry. The course is designed to serve teaching majors, and I tailored our class to focus heavily on communicating mathematics. Before each class meeting, I posted an assignment like the following, and we would spend the first half of the next meeting with student presentations and discussions on these problems. These assignments would generally lead in to the rest of the material for the day, which we worked on in a student-led group.
| Introduction to convexity | Daily Problems |
| Helly's Theorem | Daily Problems |
| Polytopes and f-vectors | Daily Problems |
| Pick's Theorem | Daily Problems |
Math 461 – Combinatorial Theory I
In Winter 2020, I taught Math 461 in an active learning classroom, and all mathematical content in the course was developed in an inquiry-based group setting. The class was primarily upperclassmen math majors with a few computer science students. Before each group work session, I would post a brief reading assignment with a handful of introductory problems for each topic. Each of the following problem sets included a broad range of exercises to give each group the freedom to investigate topics which interested them the most. After each week, I would ask students to fill out a brief survey and reflection, and I would lead a discussion once each week based on their responses.
| Binomial identities and combinatorial proofs | In-class Problems |
| Integer partitions and standard Young tableaux | In-class Problems |
| Introduction to graph theory | In-class Problems |
| Planar graphs | In-class Problems |