IMPACT Live!

How should the linear algebra curriculum and teaching strategies be updated to better meet the needs of current students?

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Robert Cappetta
Florida SouthWestern State College
FL
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Social media and cartoons play such a significant role in shaping the minds of the youth. Math is reprimanded and made fun of constantly on kids' shows and on social media platforms, this is the child's introduction to math, and right away they get a negative attitude about it. The negative stigma surrounding math should not only be addressed but it should be explained. Perhaps teachers could say something like: "It's easier to have negative feelings about math, but math only shares its secrets  to the ones who respect its complexity and beauty. Only to the ones who are patient." ( A quote by Archimedes )  It should be explained to the students that the same area of your brain that processes pain is stimulated when you learn a new skill, that is why learning math can sometimes be very challenging. This should speak and resonate with some of the children.

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Stella Wilcox
Student
Oakton College
Skokie IL
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In the article 'More Linear Algebra' that was published in the December 2020 / January 2021 issue of MAA Focus, there is an interesting plan for redesigning the linear algebra curriculum into a sequence of three courses.  The first two courses do not require calculus, but the third course does.  

Please see this article for further details (Vol. 40, No.6).

Authors: Feryal Alayont, David Austin, Matthew Boelkins, Paul Fishback, Steven Schlicker, Robert Talbert, Clark Wells

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Paula Wilhite
Northeast Texas CC
Mount Pleasant TX
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