May 18 – 22, 2026
Virginia Tech
America/New_York timezone

The Inquiry-Oriented Linear Algebra Project

May 18, 2026, 11:50 AM
25m
Torgersen Hall 2150

Torgersen Hall 2150

Minisymposium Talk Linear Algebra Education Linear Algebra Education

Speakers

Megan Wawro (Virginia Tech) David Plaxco (University of Georgia)

Description

The Inquiry-Oriented Linear Algebra (IOLA) project is a research-based, student-centered approach to the teaching and learning of introductory linear algebra. The IOLA curricular materials build from a set of experientially real tasks that allow for active student engagement in the guided reinvention of key mathematical ideas through student and instructor inquiry. The online instructional support materials include various resources such as rationales for task design, implementation suggestions, and examples of student work. In this talk, we will highlight the IOLA least squares task sequence, which builds from a travel metaphor towards students’ creation of the normal equation and understanding of why it is relevant in solving the least squares problem.

Authors

Megan Wawro (Virginia Tech) David Plaxco (University of Georgia) Christine Andrews-Larson (Florida State University) Michelle Zandieh (Arizona State University)

Presentation materials

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