CALCULUS WORKSHOPS
Brief Outline: The students in the workshop are divided into groups of three or at most four students.
Each group is given a part of the blackboard to work. During the workshop, the groups are up at the
blackboard working and discussing calculus problems.
General Information:
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Each workshop is keyed to a particular calculus class. The workshops are scheduled right before or
after their associated calculus class, in the same room for students’ convenience. For example,
workshop Math 206P-2 is associated with the lecture Math 206-2.
In the workshop, students are divided into groups of three or at most four students. All the groups
work at the blackboard at the same time. When the workshop begins the workshop instructor should
give the list of problems that all of the groups will work on. The students then go into their groups
and begin working on the problems.
The major activity in the workshop is problem solving. In any group, while all members collaborate
on solving a problem, they take turns in writing down the solution on the blackboard.
It is expected that in a 50-minute session, students will have ample time to do at least 5 or 6 problems.
This will vary based on the topic that the students are practicing.
The problem list for any given week should be based on the material currently being covered in
lecture class. It may include homework problems at the discretion of the lecture instructor. The
workshop instructor should discuss what problems to cover with the lecture instructor.
The workshop’s grade, (No Credit)/Credit is to be based on attendance only and to be assigned by the
workshop instructor. Three or four absences are sufficient grounds for a grade of NC. These rules
should be specified to the students by the workshop instructor at the first meeting of the workshop.
The workshop instructor will need to submit a copy of the attendance/grade spreadsheet to the lecture
instructor along with a copy of the grade roster so it can be placed in the lecture final packet.
The lecture grade and the workshop grade are unrelated. For example, a student can fail the lecture
class and pass the workshop. Conversely, a student can get a no credit in the workshop and get an ‘A’
in the lecture class.
The workshop is expected to be an active learning experience, and it would be inappropriate for the
workshop instructor to use the time to lecture.
The workshop is required for “at risk” students. “At risk” students are those whose prerequisite
grades are less than a ‘B-‘. For example, if a student is in Math 207 and they received a ‘C’ in Math
206, then they are “at risk.” Even students considered not at risk, are strongly encouraged to enroll in
the workshops. In fact, any student that would like to withdraw or not to enroll in the workshop can
only do so after having a meeting with the chair of the Mathematics department.
Responsibilities of the Workshop TA:
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During a workshop, the workshop instructor should move from group to group, giving a helpful hint
or two to help the students finish the problem in time. The workshop instructor should verify a
group’s solution when a group has finished a problem.
The workshop instructor should ask the students questions to make the students think about what they
are doing. Or the instructor can ask the students to explain the work that they have done so far. Use
your judgment on how much to help the students. If the students are completely lost, then more
guidance will be necessary. The main objective is to try to get the students to think about the
problems and to try to make the students do the problems on their own with minimal help. As
mentioned above, some groups will need more help than others.
Although the initial groups may be randomly selected, the workshop instructor should realigned
groups throughout the quarter so that each group is progressing at the same pace.
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The workshop instructor must take roll at each session. This data is used to assign the grade to the
students in the workshop.
The lecture instructor and the workshop instructor should meet periodically to review the performance
of the students in the class, and the material to be covered in the lab sessions. The workshop
instructor should periodically ask the lecture instructor for the test grades of the students in the
workshop. The workshop instructor should use this information to rearrange/balance the groups in the
workshop as necessary.
Frequently Asked Questions:
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Can the workshop instructor use part of the workshop for lecturing?
No. The workshop is for problem solving, not for lecturing.
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What do I do if some students do not want to go to the board?
There are always students who do not want to work at the board. Sometimes students want to work at
their desk on some other class, or they want to work on problems on their own. Try your best to get
them up to the board. Remind them that the purpose of the workshop is to not only get practice doing
problems, but to also get practice explaining problems to others.
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What about during final exams week?
The workshop does NOT have a final exam and it does NOT meet during final exams week.
**Please do not forget to submit a copy of the grade roster and the attendance/grade spreadsheet to
your lecture instructor so they can submit this in their final packet!!