Caroline Junkins

Course

Math 1LS3 | Calculus for the Life Sciences I | 1250 students

Their story

My approach to teaching Calculus is very student-centered, as I find students (especially those who are not big fans of math) learn best when their voices are the ones constructing, analyzing, and interpreting the mathematical ideas.

When I saw that my section of Math 1LS3 would have over 600 students, I got pretty nervous. How am I going to center 600 voices, and how am I going to do this in a virtual meeting?? Thankfully, I quickly discovered that students were more than happy to have their voices heard!

After students completed a quick quiz at the start of class, we would meet together to talk through the problems that students struggled with the most. By focusing on confusion and misconceptions rather than right answers, I could step back and act as a guide/curator of ideas, rather than a lecturer. It was such a joy to see so many students sharing their thoughts, suggestions, and questions in our chat.

Not only did students use their (virtual) voices to construct mathematical ideas, they also used them to build community: to share worries, to offer support, and to wish each other Happy Birthday! I really enjoyed supporting this community, and having the opportunity to witness the interactions between students I would normally miss in a large lecture hall.

When I received emails from students telling me that math class has turned into their “home base” or “safe space” at McMaster, I knew we had really built something special.

Please direct any inquiries to: junkinc@mcmaster.ca