Pixel International Conferences

Long enduring and emerging challenges in Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education require innovative solutions to address the root causes of the problems.  Only about 30% of our STEM students graduate in six years; many students either switch to a non-STEM major or drop out.  Traditional classroom structures with presentation of abstract theories and equations to students who have no means of relating the presentation to the physical world need to be improved.  Instilling a keen interest in science and mathematics in STEM students may be a way to help students endure the inherent challenges involved in their majors.  The present work is an account of a focused effort to plant a seed of interest in science and mathematics in incoming freshman students at Cal State LA.  Armed with the belief that students will become genuinely interested in science and mathematics if they are presented in an interesting way, a group of faculty members from various engineering disciplines at Cal State LA and Cal Poly SLO have started a Calculus and Physics workshop called Mathemagics for the incoming freshman engineering students.  The activities aim to spark an interest in science and mathematics in incoming freshmen students hoping that the connections they make between mathematical theory and physical reality as well as increased motivation will translate into success in STEM during their following academic endeavors.