Steve Bennoun


My research is composed of 3 big parts: undergraduate mathematics and science education, mathematics, and university teacher training.

Undergraduate Mathematics and Science Education

I am interested in the impact of curriculum reform for a course. More precisely, I currently study the effect of introducing new teaching methods and new teaching material in a multi-section calculus course. The goal is to assess the influence on the students (in terms of understanding of the material and on their attitude toward mathematics in general) and on the instructors (in terms of actual teaching methods and views of teaching).
I also study the effect of specific teaching methods or "instruments". At the moment I study the use by the students of learning objectives. The goal is to see how the students use and perceive learning objectives. I also want to determine how we can help the students use learning objectives more efficiently and adopt better study strategies in general.

Mathematics

I am interested in objects called weak Hopf algebras. These objects are interesting because they are related (through their category of modules) to fusion categories. The latter can be seen as a generalization of finite groups. What I am interested in is to better understand the structure of weak Hopf algebras (and weak bialgebras). I am also interested in constructing new weak Hopf algebras that have specific properties and then be able to construct new fusion categories.


Publications


Teacher Training and Faculty Development

For several years I have been interested in faculty development and more specifically in (university) teacher training. The general question I have been interested in has been to determine the factors that help (or on the contrary impede) faculty in acquiring new teaching methods. In other words, how can we help faculty change their teaching methods (and have them use more evidence-based ones).

Publications