Publications [#386009] of Shira Viel

Papers Published

1. Black, K; Akin, V; Viel, S; Scanlon, H; Tremaine, R; Kress, N, Unnecessarily Hard: How Student Emotions, Course Components and Rigor Collide in Calculus, http://sigmaa.maa.org/rume/RUME27_Proceedings.pdf (March, 2025)
   (last updated on 2026/01/16)

   Abstract:
   In this poster, we present a case study of Kappa University (KU), a private institution in the Southeastern United States. Our case study focuses on students’ experiences of their introductory calculus courses, which they often describe as “unnecessarily hard.” There may be a disparity at KU between what instructors and students perceive as necessary for student learning. An investigation of the interactions between student emotions, course components, and instructor conceptions of rigor could help instructors better support students in rigorous courses. We thus chose to investigate the question: How do classroom practices associated with the instructor ideal of rigor align with students’ emotional experiences in introductory math at KU?