By CSC COLLEGE RELATIONS
CHADRON – Chadron State College Mathematics Associate Professor Dr. Jung Colen presented at the 2022 National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Research Conference in Los Angeles Sept. 28-29. She presented a study she conducted with her husband, Dr. Yong S. Colen, a mathematics education professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
In their presentation, they focused on an innovative technique called Improv Teaching.
“We define Improv Teaching as responsive, flexible instruction that transforms an unexpected misconception into students doing authentic mathematics,” Colen said.
According to Colen, the novel concept is defined by three phases. First, the teacher discerns a relevant student misconception, second the teacher and students probe for the underlying reasons behind the misconception and reconstruct it into a meaningful learning moment, and finally, the teacher deviates from the lesson plan and incorporates the misconception, fostering the empowerment of low self-confident students through purposeful learning.
The couple has submitted their study to be reviewed in Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12, one of the NCTM’s journals aimed at educators of preschool to 12th grade.