College Algebra

These guided activities were written because much research has shown that more learning takes place when the student is actively engaged and when ideas and concepts are developed by the student, rather than being presented by an authority - a textbook or an instructor. The activities presented are structured so that information is presented to the reader in some form (and equation, table, graph, figure, written prose, etc.) followed by a series of Construct-Your-Understanding Questions that lead the student to the development of a particular concept or idea. Learning follows the scientific process as much as possible throughout. Students are often asked to construct a concept based on the model that has been developed up to that point, and then further data or information is provided to help refine the concept. In this way, students simultaneously learn course content and key process skills that constitute mathematical and scientific thought and exploration.