Research Interests

My primary research interest is in the teaching and learning of advanced undergraduate mathematics. I am an active member of the SIGMAA on RUME (a special interest group of the Mathematical Association of America). Click here for a pdf of my CV (updated October 2011)

Funded Projects

Teaching Abstract Algebra for Understanding

NSF - CCLI

Grant Period: 07/2008 – 12/2010.

Co-PIs: John Caughman [PSU], Mark Yannotta [Clackamas Community College]

Project Website: http://www.web.pdx.edu/%7Eslarsen/TAAFU/home.php

Justification in Algebra: Growing Understanding of Algebraic Reasoning (JAGUAR)

NSF REESE Grant

Grant Period 01/2009 - 01/2012

Co-PIs: Eva Thanheiser [PSU], Megan Staples [University of Connecticut]

Characteristics of Successful Programs in College Calculus

Subaward from Mathematical Association of America (NSF Funded Project - PI David Bressoud, past president of the MAA).

Grant Period: 07/2011 – 09/2013.

Project Website: http://www.maa.org/cspcc/

Publications

Refereed Book Chapters

Weber, K., and Larsen, S. (2008). Teaching and learning abstract algebra. In M. Carlson & C. Rasmussen (Eds.) Making the Connection: Research and Teaching in Undergraduate Mathematics (pp. 137-149). Mathematical Association of America.

Zandieh, M., Larsen, S., and Nunley, D. (2008). Proving starting from informal notions of symmetry and transformations. In M. Carlson & C. Rasmussen (Eds.) Making the Connection: Research and Teaching in Undergraduate Mathematics (pp. 123-135). Mathematical Association of America

Carlson, M., Larsen, S. & Lesh, R. (2002). Integrating a model and modeling perspective with existing research and practice: In R. Lesh & H. Doerr (Eds.), Beyond Constructivism in Mathematics Teaching and Learning: A Models & Modeling Perspective. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Refereed Articles

Larsen, S. (under review). A Story about Meaning and Argumentation. Submitted to Research in Collegiate Mathematics Education August 2011.

Swinyard, C., & Larsen, S. (in press). Coming to Understand the Formal Definition of Limit: Insights Gained from Engaging Students in Reinvention. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education.

Johnson, E., & Larsen, S. (in press).Teacher listening: The role of knowledge of content and students. Journal of mathematical behavior.

Larsen, S. (2010). Struggling to Disentangle the Associative and Commutative Properties. For the Learning of Mathematics 30 (1) 37-42. Larsen, S. (2009).

Reinventing the concepts of group and isomorphism. Journal of Mathematical Behavior 28 (2-3) 119-137.

Larsen, S. & Bartlo, J. (2010). The Role of Tasks in Promoting Discourse that Supports Mathematical Learning. The Montana Mathematics Enthusiast (Volume in Monograph Series in Mathematics Education). 77-98.

Larsen, S. & Zandieh, M., (2007), Proofs and refutations in the undergraduate mathematics classroom. Educational Studies in Mathematics. 67 (3) 205-216.

Larsen, S., & Saldanha, L., (2006). Function composition as combining transformations: Lessons learned from the first iteration of an instructional experiment. Proceedings of the 28th annual meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education. Mérida, México: Universidad Pedagógica Nacional. (2),790-797. Retrieved May 23, 2007, from http://www.pmena.org/2006/cd/TEACHER%20KNOWLEDGE/TEACHER%20KNOWLEDGE-0002.pdf

Marrongelle, K. & Larsen, S. (2006). Generating mathematical discourse among teachers: The role of professional development resource. Proceedings of the 28th annual meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education. Mérida, México: Universidad Pedagógica Nacional. (2),123-130. Retrieved May 23, 2007, from http://www.pmena.org/2006/cd/ALGEBRAIC%20THINKING/ALGEBRAIC%20THINKING-0005.pdf

Larsen, S. & Zandieh, M. (2005). Conjecturing and proving as part of the process of defining. Proceedings of the Twenty-Seventh Annual Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education. Roanoke, Virginia USA. Retrieved May 23, 2007, from http://www.pmena.org/2005/prog.htm

Zandieh, M., Larsen, S. & Nunley, D. (2004). Mathematizing intuitive notions of symmetry and transformations for use in more formal reasoning. Proceedings of the Twenty-Sixth Annual Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education. Toronto, Canada, 199-200.

Carlson, M., Jacobs, S., Coe, E., Larsen, S. & Hsu, E. (2002). Applying covariational reasoning while modeling dynamic events: A framework and a study. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 33(5), 352-378.

Larsen, S. (2002). Progressive mathematization in elementary group theory: Students develop formal notions of group isomorphism. Proceedings of the Twenty-Fourth Annual Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education. Athens, Georgia. 307-316.

Carlson, M., Larsen, S., & Jacobs, S. (2001). An investigation of covariational reasoning and its role in learning the concepts of limit and accumulation. Proceedings of the Twenty-Third Annual Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education. Columbus, OH: Eric Clearinghouse.

Invited Publications

Articles

Larsen, S. (2006). Taking a third grader’s idea and running with it: Teachers’ mathematical discussions inspired by children’s thinking. The Oregon Mathematics Teacher, May/June, 26-27.

Presentations

Conferences

Colloquia

Larsen, S. (2010). A Local Instructional Theory for the Guided Reinvention of the Quotient Group Concept. Department of Mathematics and Statistics. November 4th, 2010