BANNER

MATH 220A: Topology

Assignment, Learning Objective, Rubric Creation

Reflection on Instructional Change:

I participated in the Writing Partners program, which pairs university students with elementary school students for a collaborative letter exchange. This program allows students to experience how writing can help build connections within their community and across communities. As part of a service-learning component, we partnered with 5th grade students at Bowling Green Chacon Science Academy. For this project, you wrote two letters to the elementary students and participate in a campus visit to celebrate the exchange.

To streamline the process, I used AI to create clear assignment descriptions and rubrics. First, I identified the key objectives and expectations for the assignment. Using AI, I generated concise descriptions that aligned with course goals. I also created rubrics outlining specific criteria for assessment, ensuring transparency for students. This approach saved time on administrative tasks and helped me maintain consistency in communication, allowing me to focus more on teaching and engaging with students in class.

The impact of using AI-generated resources has been positive. Students found the assignment descriptions clearer and easier to follow, and the rubrics helped them understand how their work would be assessed. This clarity seemed to improve their focus and motivation.

The "Writing Effective Prompts" activity from the FLC was particularly influential. It helped me realize how important it is to structure assignments clearly and design rubrics that guide student thinking. Incorporating these principles has led to better student performance and more focused work.

One "aha" moment from the Observe and Analyze session came when I received feedback on the prompts I had designed for my assignments.

Evidence of Instructional Change

evidence of instructional change
Letter Guidelines & Prompts	Rubric	Student letter describing topology

Practice and Reflect Teaching and Learning with AI:

One of the biggest opportunities is saving time on tasks like creating assignments and rubrics. AI tools can quickly generate clear, structured materials, which allows me to focus more on interacting with students and improving their learning experience. For example, using AI to create personalized writing prompts has made it easier to design questions that are both engaging and aligned with course goals. This has helped students connect more deeply with the material, as the prompts encourage critical thinking and reflection.

Course Syllabus

MATH 220 Syllabus Fall 2024.pdf

Faculty Bio

faculty bio
	Sayonita Ghosh Hajra is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics at California State University, Sacramento. She has been teaching at Sac State since 2018. Sayonita has been serving as one of the Teaching and Learning mentors since 2021. She also co-facilitated multiple Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs), including the Wellness in the Classroom FLC since 2019.

Funding
	This work was supported by: US Department of Education Hispanic Serving Institution Project TECH4Equity US Department of Education Hispanic Serving Institution Project STEM4Equity P031C210012 *Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or the US Department of Education.