CU Boulder Math Professor Kate Stange Solves Math Equations on the Wacom Tablet that She Purchased with her 2014 ASSETT Development Award
CU Boulder Mathematics Department听Assistant Professor Kate Stange won a 2014 ASSETT Development Award to make math videos for Linear Algebra and other classes for flipping the linear algebra classroom. 听Stange used the award to purchase a听. 听"The tablet is fantastic," says Stange. 听The videos听that she has made so far with tablet and听听software听explain core concepts for Discrete Math听students. 听Stange uses a听stylus pen to draw on the tablet听in听听software. 听She says drawing on the tablet听is: 听"... just like a mouse, except your hand has better control if you want to draw something. 听You can sketch much more naturally."
Stange听records her drawings in Camtasia software. 听She can accelerate the drawing videos and records herself explaining the concept. 听This way, Stange says that she听can show much more visually in less time, than if she were drawing and writing equations live on the board in front of听students in class. 听Stange says:
In class sometimes I find that I'm听lecturing听and I want to put something up on the听blackboard, but听it takes听too long, so I don't do it. 听This [tablet and software]听is perfect for that because you can draw it [ahead of time], and speed it up ...听Then you don't have to use classroom time for it.
Now, she听is using more and more class time to lead students to work through concepts that they studied for homework. 听"For me the visual is a big component of learning," says Stange. 听She听says when students can watch a video that explains a core concept for homework that frees up class time to build on core concepts with students. 听Stange听has implemented Think-Pair-Share Clicker question and answer time, group work, and manipulatives into her lecture hour.
Stange's听videos last between three and five minutes. 听They currently support MATH 2001, Introduction to Discrete Mathematics.
The tablet belongs to the Math Department. 听Stange hopes that her first videos will inspire more Math faculty to make their own videos! 听"Once you've made one you can use it forever," she says. "It's really pretty fun."
Watch the first videos that Stange created with the Wacom tablet here:
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