TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — With news outlets nationwide reporting significant setbacks in
mathematics education caused by the shift to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic,
a Trine University professor and student shared suggestions for teaching math online
at a regional conference.
On Oct. 22, Haseeb Kazi, Ph.D., professor of mathematics, and Lance Jutze, a mathematics
major, presented “Best Practices for Online Instruction of Mathematics for Students
who Face Learning Barriers” at the Indiana Section meeting of the Mathematical Association
of America (MAA), held at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
The talk covered common learning disabilities and other disorders that impact learning,
and offered suggestions to help math educators assist students with learning disabilities
when teaching online.
Kazi presented research from an instructor’s perspective, while Jutze, who has Autism
Spectrum Disorder (ASD), shared from a student’s perspective.
“Dr. Kazi brought up the idea of speaking at a math conference about a month ago in
advance. He thought that participating in a state talk would help me with my presentation
skills and also with meeting new professors outside of Trine,” said Jutze. “At first,
I was a little nervous to present, but once I started talking about myself and my
struggles with my condition and how it has impacted my learning abilities, I was confident
that I carried my message across to the audience.”
Among the suggestions presented were: providing text alternatives for those with visual
or language impairments; providing captions or audio descriptions on videos; making
all functionality available from a keyboard; and providing additional time on assignments
and tests for students with learning disabilities.
Kazi said he previously presented on the topic in 2015, and with the growth in online
learning during and since the pandemic, the importance of research in the area has
grown.
“This research should be of interest to almost all math educators who are pursing
— or plan to pursue — the offering of online instruction at any secondary or postsecondary
level through various learning management systems,” he said.
Kazi said Nicole Kibiloski, director of accessibility services at Trine, and Megan
Cook, director of Trine University counseling services, also contributed to the presentation.
