Patrick Rault
State University of New York, Geneseo

Learning from My Students: A Novice’s Experience with the Moore Method

When students independently unravel definitions and make discoveries, their wording of proofs can be more natural and clear. While induction is often learned as an opaque memorized template, a geometric discovery of induction can lead to transparency and improved writing. Student blackboard presentations communicate convincing unprepared proof sketches, while smartboard presentations allow for a class discussion of what makes a polished proof. These experiences took place in the second semester of a study of Moore Method Introduction to Proofs courses: the first semester involved a novice's implementation of the Moore Method, while the second took place under the mentorship of an established Moore Method instructor. We will discuss the qualitative and quantitative differences between the two semesters.