Every so often, I’ll publicize through this blog an interesting article that I’ve found in the mathematics or mathematics education literature that can be freely distributed to the general public. Today, I’d like to highlight “Improvisation in the Mathematics Classroom” by Andrea Young. Here’s the abstract:

This article discusses ways in which improvisational comedy games and exercises can be used in college mathematics classrooms to obtain a democratic and supportive environment for students. Using improv can help students learn to think creatively, take risks, support classmates, and solve problems. Both theoretical and practical applications are presented.

The full article can be found here: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10511970.2012.754809

Full reference: Andrea Young (2013) Improvisation in the Mathematics Classroom, PRIMUS: Problems, Resources, and Issues in Mathematics Undergraduate Studies, 23:5, 467-476, DOI: 10.1080/10511970.2012.754809