Data-infused model of sprinting in an introductory ODE course for STEM students A Work in Progress

After Calculus 2, many cadets at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) take a first course in Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs).ODEs as mathematical tools are fundamental for modelling and analyzing dynamical systems which are prevalent in many areas of STEM education: electrical circuits, chemical reactions, mechanical systems, fluid dynamics, and many others.Unfortunately, many courses in ODEs are still presented in a traditional lecture approach, where there is significant emphasis on algebraic manipulations of differential equations or applying formulaic Calculus results.At the Air Force Academy, we recognize the importance of incorporating active learning teaching strategies in order to enhance student engagement and to strengthen course relevance.In particular, we integrated data-infused real-life modeling scenarios and some data-fitting classroom activities in order to better prepare students for the challenges they may encounter in their future military duties.In this Work-in-Progress, we share curricular material towards this effort.We believe that providing a classroom experience in a data-fitting technique on a real-life problem that is relatable to the 21 st -century student (sprinting) equips our students with skills on analyzing experimental data, creating predictive models, and making informed decisions based on data and underlying theories.