Navigating a Calculus Course During a Pandemic: A USMA Perspective

Abstract

In this article we analyze publications written about different teaching modalities and evaluate how each applies to a calculus class during the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. We focus on the positives and negatives of teaching and learning in a virtual, classroom, or HyFlex environment. Although arguments could be made for each environment, especially given different institutional objectives, this work aims to explain why we eventually preferred teaching our Fall 2020 multivariable calculus course in a face-to-face classroom setting at the United States Military Academy at West Point. We also offer measures of performance to compare the current COVID-19 semester with previous semesters. The results support two major conclusions drawn from our decision to teach in-person under in a time constrained environment: learning modality matters in mathematics and this pandemic will influence student-teacher interaction for semesters to come.