Jocelyn Rios

Welcome! Thank you for visiting my website.

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About Me

I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Arizona, with a concentration in math education. My resarch focuses on better understanding how to create equitable math learning experiences for students from historically underserved backgrounds. My research interests lie along two interrelated lines of inquiy: (1) understanding and developing asset-based approahces to mathematics education and (2) exploring the impact of active learning on classroom equity, particularly in multilingual spaces.

I am from Pueblo, Colorado. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, cooking, and spending time with my family.

Education

All of my education has proudly been at Hispanic-Serving Institutions.

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University of Arizona

Ph.D. in Mathematics · Specialization in Mathematics Education

Dissertation - Critically examining the multilingual undergraduate math classroom: A mixed methods study.

Directors: Aditya Adiredja and Marta Civil.

August 2017 - May 2022

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University of New Mexico

M.S. in Mathematics · Distinguished Thesis

Thesis - The Effects of Different Teaching Methods on Student Attitude and Achievement in Calculus Recitations.

Director: Michael Nakamaye.

August 2014 - May 2017

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Colorado State University-Pueblo

B.A. in Mathematics

August 2009 - May 2013

Research

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Doctoral Research

University of Arizona · PI: Jocelyn Rios

Objective: Use a mixed methods approach to better understand how bilingual students for whom English is an additional language navigate the multilingual, undergraduate math classroom, and to what extent active learning served as an equitable teaching approach.

  • Collected pre- and post-survey data from 29 sections from precalculus to vector calculus.
  • Conducted interviews with 28 bilingual students enrolled in calculus.
  • Analyzed data through the lens of student positioning and participation, and language-as-resource and language-as-political.

    • January 2021 - May 2022

    Project Outreach FAMILIA

    University of Arizona · PI: Guadalupe Lozano

    Objective: Develop a rigorous, dual enrollment pre-calculus course at local high schools in Tucson (project funded by a Title V grant).

    • Developing a culturally responsive, place-based pre-calculus curriculum.
    • Refining lessons through collaborations with local teachers and by demoing the lessons in high school pre-calculus classrooms.
    • Providing local high school teachers with professional development.

      • January 2021 - May 2022

      Master's Thesis

      University of Arizona · PI: Jocelyn Rios

      Objective: Develop a better understanding of how undergraduate students conceptualize group actions when learning them for the first time. Findings can be used to develop a guided reinvention style task to introduce group actions in abstract algebra.

      • Investigated how group actions arose historically in abstract algebra.
      • Completed clinical interviews with five undergraduate students and four graduate students about their understanding of group actions.

        • August 2018 - May 2019

        Mentoring Through Critical Transition Points (MCTP)

        University of New Mexico · PI: Monika Nitsche

        Objective: Support incoming graduate students in developing teaching skills (funded by an NSF grant).

        • Helped design the curriculum for a graduate teaching assistant training seminar.
        • Helped author a course manual for the training seminar.
        • Instructed the teacher training seminar during the 2015 academic year and collected evaluative data on its impact.

          • January 2015 - December 2015

          Master's Thesis

          University of New Mexico · PI: Jocelyn Rios

          Objective: Explore the teaching methods that graduate teaching assistants implemented into the calculus recitations and their efficacy in terms of improving students' attitudes towards the recitation, engagement in the recitation, and final course grade.

          • Observed 12 calculus recitation sections using a quantitative observation protocol.
          • Surveyed students in the calculus sections about their experiences.
          • Surveyed graduate teaching assistants about their perceptions towards the teacher training they received.
          • Used quantitative methods, including factor analysis, multiple regression, and logistic regression.

            • August 2016 - May 2017

            Teaching

            Student Comments

            • "Taking this class may have been the best decision I made my freshman year…I did really well in this class and I would consider myself not that good at math." — College Algebra, Fall 2018

            • "I really appreciated that she treated her students like people and was encouraging and helpful." — College Algebra, Fall 2018

            • "I like how calculus was clearly related to the real world and how the applications of the concepts taught in calculus were shown to be relevant in solving real world problems." — Calculus I, Fall 2019

            • "Jocelyn is a WONDERFUL instructor. If I could be guaranteed that she would be my instructor for all my future math classes I would willingly minor in math. That is a HIGH praise because math is not my strongest subject." — Calculus I, Fall 2019

            • "I like how all the concepts were clearly explained and we were exposed to a variety of problems in order to improve our skills." — Calculus I, Fall 2019

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              Teaching History

              University of Arizona
              Spring 2020, Fall 2020
              Functions of Calculus
              Fall 2020
              Calculus Problem Solving Supplemental Instruction
              Fall 2019
              Calculus I
              Fall 2018
              Pre-calculus Problem Solving Supplemental Instruction
              Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018
              College Algebra
              University of New Mexico
              Spring 2016, Summer 2016
              Trigonometry
              Fall 2015
              Graduate Student Teacher Training Seminar
              Summer 2014
              Applied Calculus II
              Fall 2014
              Calculus II recitation

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              Contact

              Mailing Address:

              The University of Arizona, Department of Mathematics

              MATH 622, 617 N. Santa Rita Ave.Tucson, AZ 85721

              Phone:

              (520) 626-041

              Email:

              jnrios@math.arizona.edu