Introduction to the SCALE-UP (Student-Centered Activities for Large Enrollment Undergraduate Programs) Project

The SCALE-UP Project has established a highly collaborative, hands-on, computer-rich, interactive learning environment for large-enrollment courses. Class time is spent primarily on hands-on activities, simulations, and interesting questions as well as hypothesis-driven labs. Students sit in three groups of three students at round tables. Instructors circulate and work with teams and individuals, engaging them in Socratic-like dialogues. Rigorous evaluations of learning have been conducted in parallel with the curriculum development effort. Our findings can be summarized as follows: Ability to solve problems is improved, conceptual understanding is increased, attitudes are improved, failure rates are drastically reduced (especially for women and minorities), and performance in follow up physics and engineering classes is positively impacted

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