Newswise — Washington, D.C. - The Mathematical Association of America (MAA) is proud to announce its role in the inaugural Active Learning Day on October 25, 2016, as a part of a nationwide movement to elevate STEM education.

"Active learning creates a sense of community and engagement in the classroom which helps keep students on track towards STEM careers, particularly for women and minorities," said Michael Pearson, Executive Director of MAA. "Active learning is key to providing the next generation of mathematicians and scientists with the tools to problem solve."

Active learning is a strategy adopted in many mathematics and science classrooms to engage students and promote life-long problem solving skills. During the inaugural Active Learning Day, MAA is proud to continue to promote and disseminate resources and research to support the mathematics teaching community in higher education.

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) announced Active Learning Day as part of a larger initiative called STEM for All, designed to expand STEM teaching and learning in conjunction with Active Learning Day.

According to the active learning Call to Action on the White House blog, "Active learning strategies, in which students must engage, think, and solve problems, have been shown to increase retention of knowledge; develop higher-order skills such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation; and increase student retention in STEM fields."

Join the social media campaign with hashtag #activemath during the week of October 24th to the 29th, and access resources for using active learning in a higher education mathematics classroom on the MAA Active Learning Day website.
To find out more about Active Learning Day, read the White House blog.

About MAA: The Mathematical Association of America is the world's largest community of mathematicians, students, and enthusiasts. We accelerate the understanding of our world through mathematics, because mathematics drives society and shapes our lives. Visit us at maa.org.