Abstract Algebra, 2nd Edition

Preface

The impetus for this book lies in our approach to teaching abstract algebra. We place an emphasis on active learning and on developing students' intuition through their investigation of examples. For us, active learning involves students—they are doing something instead of just being passive learners. What students are doing when they are actively learning might include discovering, processing, discussing, applying information, writing intensive assignments, and engaging in common intellectual in-class experiences or collaborative assignments and projects. We support all of these activities with peer review and substantial faculty mentoring. According to Meyers and Jones [2], active learning derives from the assumptions that learning ...