Math in Higher Ed

Most math video lectures are designed to be watched passively and, as a result, students treat them that way. In this episode I talk about how we can change that: the structuring and recording of our videos and how we can teach students to actually engage with them. Plus: writing math on screen, tools, and why perfection is overrated.Sources and further reading: Video Improves Learning in Higher Education: A Systematic Review - Noetel et alVideo-based lecture engagement in a flipped classroom environment - Gutiérrez-González, Zamarron, and RoyuelaDecoding Video Logs: Unveiling Student Engagement Patterns in Lecture Capture Videos - Akçapınar, Er, and Bayazit

Most math homework looks the same: either an online assignment or a list of problems to drill some skills with answers included to odd problems. In this episode I break down how to design assignments that build real understanding, including how to write better problems, how to scaffold review without it feeling remedial, and how to get students thinking critically about their own answers.

This is the first of two episodes talking about how to make math homework more useful and covers a few questions we need to ask ourselves (what do we think the point of homework should be, should it be required, and how should it be graded) and explores the difference between facilitating learning and the memorization of facts or algorithms.The next episode will walk through the designing of homework that accomplishes these goals.