Open Classroom Series - MATH 1113 - Sutandra Sarkar

CETLOE is excited to announce our first-ever Open Classrooms Week this fall, Oct. 5-9. We're inviting faculty to open their doors and welcome one to two colleagues to catch a glimpse of teaching in action. This isn't an evaluation or a formal observation; it's a community-building exchange designed to spark conversation and showcase the diverse teaching talent across our university.

Course:

Precalculus

Session Description:

A large enrollment of 90 students Precalculus course is delivered using an innovative, highly interactive model in the MILE (Mathematics Interactive Learning Environment) lab setting. The course is intentionally designed to move beyond a traditional lecture format and instead integrates structured mini-lectures with dynamic, technology-enhanced active learning.

Throughout the class, students engage in carefully designed conceptual and problem-solving activities. I collect and display their responses in real time using platforms such as Pearson’s Learning Catalytics, Macmillan’s iClicker, and Desmos Classroom. Responses are shared anonymously in aggregate form, this allows discussion and plays a role in refining their understanding in a supportive environment. This approach promotes metacognition, accountability, and meaningful peer discussion, and promotes core elements of High-Impact Practices in large classes.

In the second half of each session while the day-to-day delivery varies, the classroom shifts into a collaborative learning lab. Students work on assignments while receiving immediate, individualized support from the instructor and assistants. This structure ensures that conceptual understanding is reinforced through guided practice and helps students build confidence.

This model demonstrates how large mathematics classes can be transformed into highly engaged learning communities that closely connect active participation with conceptual understanding.

Note: To ensure that we do not fill a classroom, the room number will be provided after registration via email