Becoming a More Effective Instructor Using Primary Source Projects

Inquiry-based Learning (IBL) is a pedagogical practice with much supporting research for its effectiveness with all students, but especially among traditionally underrepresented student groups in mathematics. However, IBL classrooms are not easy to implement; in particular, instructors need to know how to write appropriate materials, lead effective class discussions, and deal with student expectations. Primary Source Projects (PSPs) helped me address my deficiencies in these areas and become a more effective instructor. In this narrative, I relate my experiences using PSPs to transform my lecture classroom into a fully student-centered class, starting modestly by utilizing IBL with only one PSP in one class, then adding more PSPs to other classes, and working up towards the majority of my classes being active, even in the parts that do not utilize the historical projects. I highlight some implementation strengths and weaknesses, student perceptions of the projects, and conclude with a discussion of other high-impact teaching practices that can also be readily implemented using primary source projects.