Student-Supported Groupwork on Vertical Whiteboards: The Impacts on Students and Peer Tutors in a Calculus I Class

ABSTRACT

Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada offers two introductory calculus courses designed for students enrolled in science and engineering programs. Students identified as needing additional support based on their admission grades take the version of the course where students meet weekly for four hours instead of three.

A new approach for the fourth hour was introduced in Fall 2019 splitting the class into smaller sections of 20-40 students to work in small groups on vertical whiteboards under the supervision of the instructor, complemented by peer tutors. This format introduces an active learning element that improves student performance and attitude. The project was first implemented in Fall 2019, although interrupted due to Covid-19. After returning to the in-person classroom, the whiteboard seminar program was reinstated. In Fall 2022 and Spring 2023, survey feedback was collected from both students and peer tutors for a more holistic perspective on the program.

In this study, the results of these surveys are analyzed, focussing on four areas of measurement: students’ satisfaction, learning calculus concepts and problem-solving techniques, the contribution of the instructor, and the contribution of the peer tutors. Exploratory factor analysis revealed three latent variables underlying student survey responses. The survey results suggest that interactions with the instructor, peer tutors, and active learning activities all contributed to students’ enjoyment of the course and their perceptions of their own learning. We compared students’ final course grades from Fall 2018, where the fourth hour was devoted to lecture before the program was implemented, to Fall 2019 and 2022. The data shows a decrease in the percentage of students failing the course and an increase in those earning A’s and B’s since the program’s implementation. Additionally, survey results show that replacing a typical lecture-style hour with a whiteboard seminar improved students’ attitudes and perceptions of the course.