COUNTING ON COOPERATIVE LEARNING TO UNCOVER THE RICHNESS IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS.

The reform movement, with its bold and innovative approaches that focus on student-centered learning, has been able to uncover the richness in undergraduate mathematics. The most outstanding pedagogical practices take into account the environment in which learning occurs as well as the background of the student body. Mathematics educators should be aware that what count as the finest practices are institution dependent. This paper reports on three such pedagogical practices, with cooperative learning at their core, that have worked with remarkable success and could be adopted at different institutions. Formatted Interactive Lecture Leaves highlight the need for active learning by creating an interactive learning environment. Student Projects showcase the relevancy of mathematics by making connections to the diverse majors prevalent in our classrooms. The Program for Excellence in Mathematics, based on collaborative learning, challenges motivated students to strive for excellence. Details of these pedagogical practices as well as appropriate evidence of success are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]