This paper describes a small-scale research project based on workbooks designed to support independent study of proofs in a first course on abstract algebra. We discuss the lecturers’ aims in designing the workbooks, and set these against a background of research on students’ learning of group theory and on epistemological beliefs and study habits in higher education. We organise our analysis of student responses around three emerging themes: 1) structured support provided by the workbooks, 2) productive forced study of lecture notes, and 3) engaging with proofs. Discussion of our data in terms of these themes suggests several considerations for the design of tasks for independent study of advanced mathematics.
We report our main findings regarding students’ experience1 of the workbooks in the Methods and Results section. In brief, the participants reported that:
(1)
The structure provided by the workbooks helped them to work independently on abstract material including proofs in algebra;
(2)
The workbooks promoted careful study of the lecture notes (in some cases, study that would not otherwise have taken place);
(3)
The tasks in the workbooks helped them to analyse proofs in ways they had not done before.
We relate our comments throughout to themes from the research literature as discussed in the Theoretical Background section, which begins with issues in learning and moves on to research-based responses to identified problems. The report concludes with a brief discussion of the way in which the issues raised might influence thinking about task design for abstract mathematical subjects in general.