Third cohort of T&L Fellows UT- Building inclusive communities started in January 2024

The University of Twente's Bridging Course, backed by 4TU.CEE, is set to revolutionize digital supportive education for first-year university students. This initiative holds promise not only for various departments at UT but also for other universities. The fellowship's core motivation is to enrich the 'Bridging Course' at UT, shaping it into an inclusive and dynamic learning environment. The focus includes improving custom course content and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration within UT. The ultimate objective is to bridge the high school-to-university mathematics gap, aligning with UT's educational agenda. Early work on the Bridging Course showcases a scholarly commitment, and the fellowship aims to amplify collaborations, publish research, and explore various opportunities. (www.utwente.nl/bridge)

This project involves the development of a repository of interactive 3D-graphs and animations that emphasize the core ideas of mathematical concepts covered in a Calculus 2 course for engineering students. Students comprehend mathematical concepts in a variety of ways. Traditionally, math education has relied heavily on static figures and graphs. However, many students learn more efficiently through interacting with such graphs and diagrams, for example, by changing the viewing angle, zooming in and out, or observing changes in the graph by manipulating one or more parameters. Advances in mathematical software allow for the creation of such interactive graphs and animations, which foster understanding of mathematical concepts in particular for problems of higher dimensions and for visual learners. The outcome of this project will innovate the Calculus 2 course delivery by blending these new visualizations of mathematical concepts into our current teaching model to create a more inclusive learning community for students with non-traditional learning styles.