Calculus III: Under the Influence of Peer Instruction

Abstract

In peer instruction [12], students engage with core course concepts and then explain those concepts to one another in small groups. Unlike in lecture format, peer instruction involves every student in the class. In Spring 2019, the first author began using a modified version of peer instruction in Calculus III classes. He started each class by discussing important Calculus III concepts from three standpoints (the formula, the geometry behind the formula, and the physics behind the formula). During the last 20 minutes of each 50-minute class session, he polled the students using questions in the “Goldilocks Zone” — not too hard and not too easy, but just right for Calculus III students. These questions ignited student-to-student discussions. Students’ attendance and achievement have improved. The paper also describes how peer instruction has influenced the first author’s own instructional practices.