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Full-Text Articles in Science and Mathematics Education

The Effect Of A Rural High School Education And Other Factors On Science Grades, Standardized Science Scores, And Choosing A College Science Major, Heather S. Kindell Nov 2003

The Effect Of A Rural High School Education And Other Factors On Science Grades, Standardized Science Scores, And Choosing A College Science Major, Heather S. Kindell

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the Caudill College of Humanities at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts by Heather S. Kindell on November 20, 2003.


The Inverse Problem: Christianity Through A Mathematical Lens, Sharon K. Robbert May 2003

The Inverse Problem: Christianity Through A Mathematical Lens, Sharon K. Robbert

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2003

An inverse problem is a partner problem that reverses some type of direct problem. Usually the inverse problem is more challenging to solve than the direct problem: integration is more challenging than differentiation, factoring large numbers is more challenging than multiplying numbers. In this paper, the author poses that using mathematical thinking to understand the concepts of theological principles is the direct problem to the much more challenging inverse problem of using theological thinking to influence understanding in mathematics. Acknowledging that a problem is difficult allows one to be satisfied with understanding small pieces and progressing slowly to a complete …


The Search For The Real Josephus Problem, Eric Gossett May 2003

The Search For The Real Josephus Problem, Eric Gossett

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2003

Many of the problems that mathematicians and computer scientists dearly love have been around for a long time. One such problem is known as the Josephus Problem, named after the first century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus. Josephus did not invent the problem. Instead, an event from his life served as the inspiration for the problem statement. Many current books refer to "Mathematical Recreations and Essays" by W. W. Rouse Ball [originally published in 1892] for the problem statement. The problem is quite interesting (and will be solved here). However, the story, as quoted in Bell, is not completely accurate.


A Greater Tantalizer, Andrew Simoson May 2003

A Greater Tantalizer, Andrew Simoson

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2003

The children’s puzzle, sometimes called the Great Tantalizer, consists of four blocks each of whose faces have been colored with four colors; a solution consists in stacking the blocks so that on each stack face, all four colors appear. This article renders the puzzle as six octahedral blocks, each of which is colored with six colors, and describes a scheme to successfully stack all six.


What Is A Random Event? A Project For Finite Math Or Statistics, Jeremy Case May 2003

What Is A Random Event? A Project For Finite Math Or Statistics, Jeremy Case

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2003

Randomization is an important idea in Finite Mathematics and Statistics. One main idea in these courses is that events that appear to be performed in a random fashion are often not random. Here we present a simple project involving "randomly" opening the Bible. This activity leads to deeper philosophical questions such as how to study the Bible and whether an event can be considered random if God intervenes.


Sos Checks And Career Management, Russell W. Howell May 2003

Sos Checks And Career Management, Russell W. Howell

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2003

This paper compares the careers of King Saul and King David in the Bible and how they inform the career management methods of a Christian.


Mathematical Models And Reality, John Byl May 2003

Mathematical Models And Reality, John Byl

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2003

This paper examines the nature and function of mathematical models, using illustrations from cosmology, space geometry and atomic physics. Mathematical models enable us to make precise calculations and predictions; they serve as analogies and conceptual frameworks that lead to new discoveries; and they bridge the gap between appearance and reality. Their success implies that the universe had a mathematical structure. However, one must be careful not to confuse models of reality with reality itself. A variety of models can represent the same data; any model can be given different physical interpretations. The choice of a model and its interpretation depends …


Integrating Laptops Into A Mathematics Curriculum, Mary Wagner-Krankel May 2003

Integrating Laptops Into A Mathematics Curriculum, Mary Wagner-Krankel

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2003

In 1999, St. Mary's University in San Antonio received a Title V Grant, providing $2.1 million over five years. The money was used to help finance computers for students, fund faculty training for computer-related curriculum, convert traditional classrooms into technology or "Smart classrooms", and upgrade the school's Internet connections. This article discusses specific software and hardware advancements made at the University through this grant. The article also describes how the Math department specifically integrated the laptops into their courses using software programs such as Mathcad and Blackboard.


Linear Regression As A 1-Variable Optimization Exercise, Ken Constantine May 2003

Linear Regression As A 1-Variable Optimization Exercise, Ken Constantine

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2003

Derivation of the least squares line for a set of bivariate data entails minimizing a function of two variables, say the line's slope and intercept. Imposing the requirement that the line pass through the mean point for the data reduces this problem to a 1-variable problem easily solved as a single-variable Calculus exercise. The solution to this problem is, in fact, the solution to the more general problem. We illustrate with a dataset involving charitable donations.


Exploiting The Confidence Interval-Hypothesis Test Equivalence In Basic Statistics Classes, Ken Constantine May 2003

Exploiting The Confidence Interval-Hypothesis Test Equivalence In Basic Statistics Classes, Ken Constantine

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2003

An emphasis is offered for the inference portion of an elementary Statistics course: the equivalence between confidence intervals and tests of hypotheses. This equivalence is rarely mentioned in basic texts but seems helpful to students. Student reference sheets which employ this equivalence are available on-line.


A Christian Appraisal Of Stephan Wolfram's A New Kind Of Science, Gene B. Chase May 2003

A Christian Appraisal Of Stephan Wolfram's A New Kind Of Science, Gene B. Chase

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2003

Wolfram exposes some ideas about informatics that relate to Christian Scholarship: Does Wolfram's definition of free will permit God to have free will? Will human souls resurrected to a new body–as described by St. Paul and Aquinas–by like software that is moved to new hardware? Jesus' incarnation as in-form-ation in the Aristotelian sense.


Creationism - A Viable Philosophy Of Mathematics, Jonathan Zderad May 2003

Creationism - A Viable Philosophy Of Mathematics, Jonathan Zderad

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2003

The purpose of this essay is to try to answer the ontological and epistemological question of mathematics. Specifically, "What, if any, of mathematics exists in the objective sense?" And, "How do we as humans know that our knowledge of mathematics is correct?" These questions will be investigated by looking at the applications or mathematics, the practice of mathematicians, and most telling, the content of mathematics. Mathematics, admittedly, can only go so far in answering its own philosophical questions, even when aided by recent developments in the field of logic. The overwhelming evidence, as will be shown, points toward a theistic, …


Making Connections: Using Analogies To Enrich Understanding Of Mathematical Ideas And Biblical Truths, Ron Benbow May 2003

Making Connections: Using Analogies To Enrich Understanding Of Mathematical Ideas And Biblical Truths, Ron Benbow

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2003

Recent standards and research, published by mathematics education professional organizations, place a great emphasis on “connections” in all grade levels. Through this emphasis on interrelatedness, students begin to see the subject not as a collection of separate strands, but rather as an integrated field of study. When linkages between diverse domains of knowledge are formed (by comparing, contrasting, analyzing, and applying), we have increased the likelihood that we develop deeper understandings within both domains. This paper explores some specific examples of the use of analogies to connect mathematical and Biblical concepts.


Mathematics, Science, And George Macdonald, David L. Neuhouser May 2003

Mathematics, Science, And George Macdonald, David L. Neuhouser

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2003

In writing about George MacDonald choosing a college major, biographer William Raeper wrote that he chose “chemistry, a strange choice perhaps for a future novelist and poet and not an easy one for him to make.” He further conjectured that MacDonald’s choice was based on “common sense and sound economics” rather than “his poetic yearnings.” Many would agree with Raeper that science is a strange choice for a future poet and novelist. This paper argues that the role of beauty and imagination is very similar in science, mathematics, and literature, so it might not be so strange that someone could …


Men Are From The Server Side, Women Are From The Client Side: A Biblical Perspective On Men, Women And Computer Science, Kim Potter Kihlstrom May 2003

Men Are From The Server Side, Women Are From The Client Side: A Biblical Perspective On Men, Women And Computer Science, Kim Potter Kihlstrom

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2003

The percentage of women in computer science is small and has decreased over the last twenty years. Why is this the case, when computer science is a wonderful and growing field with many opportunities? I believe that the situation has its roots in the basic differences between men and women, differences that were present from the beginning of creation and are a part of the way that God made male and female uniquely. In order to ensure that both talented men and women are attracted to computer science, we need to understand the differences between men and women, and how …


Introduction (2003), Association Of Christians In The Mathematical Sciences May 2003

Introduction (2003), Association Of Christians In The Mathematical Sciences

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2003

Fourteenth Conference of the Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences


Schedule (2003), Association Of Christians In The Mathematical Sciences May 2003

Schedule (2003), Association Of Christians In The Mathematical Sciences

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2003

Fourteenth Conference of the Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences


Table Of Contents (2003), Association Of Christians In The Mathematical Sciences May 2003

Table Of Contents (2003), Association Of Christians In The Mathematical Sciences

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2003

Fourteenth Conference of the Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences


University Technology Transfer And Economic Development: Proposed Cooperative Economic Development Agreements Under The Bayh Dole Act, Clovia Hamilton Jan 2003

University Technology Transfer And Economic Development: Proposed Cooperative Economic Development Agreements Under The Bayh Dole Act, Clovia Hamilton

Winthrop Faculty and Staff Publications

Technology transfer enables private industry and academia to make practical use of advanced research, development, and technical expertise. Indeed, universities are a rich source of science and technology that can support local government and business development as well as economic growth. Thus, it is essential for research universities to transfer their wisdom to the public for its use and benefit. Today, universities operate in an economic climate that requires both capital and knowledge; takes advantage of government technology initiatives (namely the Bayh- Dole Act);' and serves as a catalyst for the creation of a large number of new, incubated companies. …


Oregon Collaborative For Excellence In The Preparation Of Teachers – An Overview, M. Enneking Jan 2003

Oregon Collaborative For Excellence In The Preparation Of Teachers – An Overview, M. Enneking

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

No abstract provided.


Peer-Led Team Learning In Introductory Biology And Chemistry Courses: A Parallel Approach, A. Tenney, B. Houck Jan 2003

Peer-Led Team Learning In Introductory Biology And Chemistry Courses: A Parallel Approach, A. Tenney, B. Houck

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

Peer-Led Team Learning has been in use in Introductory Biology and Introductory Chemistry since Fall 1999 at the University of Portland. lts effect on improved conceptual understanding, retention of students, and improvement in study skills will be discussed. An ancillary, but no less important benefit in the development of interest in science teaching among the peer leaders, is also addressed.


Journal Of Mathematics And Science: Collaborative Explorations Jan 2003

Journal Of Mathematics And Science: Collaborative Explorations

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

No abstract provided.


The Development Of Instruments For Assessment Of Instructional Practices In Standards-Based Teaching, C. L. Wainwright, L. Flick, P. Morrell Jan 2003

The Development Of Instruments For Assessment Of Instructional Practices In Standards-Based Teaching, C. L. Wainwright, L. Flick, P. Morrell

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

We provide a description and rationale for the development of two instruments: 1) a classroom observation protocol; and, 2) a teacher interview protocol—designed to document the impact of reform-based professional development with undergraduate mathematics and science faculty, and its impact on the resultant preparation of teachers. Constructed upon review of the research on teaching and standards documents in mathematics and science, these instruments form the basis for data collection in a three-year longitudinal study of teaching practice among early career teachers as well as undergraduate college faculty. In addition, we suggest further applications of the observation protocol beyond the original …


A Descriptive Comparison Of One University Instructor's Instruction During Pre-Service Mathematics Courses And The Subsequent Mathematics And Science Instruction Of Three Of His Students During Their Student Teaching Experience, S. Blair Jan 2003

A Descriptive Comparison Of One University Instructor's Instruction During Pre-Service Mathematics Courses And The Subsequent Mathematics And Science Instruction Of Three Of His Students During Their Student Teaching Experience, S. Blair

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

No abstract provided.


Making Upper Division Mathematics Courses Relevant For Pre-Service Teachers, G. Hill Jan 2003

Making Upper Division Mathematics Courses Relevant For Pre-Service Teachers, G. Hill

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

This article addresses the disconnect that in-service and pre-service secondary school teachers feel between the material presented in upper division mathematics courses and high school classroom practice. Two examples are given from an abstract algebra course in which this problem is addressed.


Persistence In Mathematics By Underrepresented Students: Experiences Of A Math Excel Program, C. M. Hake, M. L. Crow, T. Dick Jan 2003

Persistence In Mathematics By Underrepresented Students: Experiences Of A Math Excel Program, C. M. Hake, M. L. Crow, T. Dick

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

Success in mathematics by underrepresented and nontraditional college students is measured not only by academic performance (grades), but also by the continued participation and persistence of these students in mathematics coursework. The Math Excel program at Oregon State University attempts to build "learning communities" with a sharp academic focus in support of students concurrently taking introductory level mathematics courses. The Math Excel program is based heavily on Uri Treisman's Emerging Scholars Workshop model of collaborative problem solving. In this article, we examine the experience of minority students in the Educational Opportunities Program participating in the Math Excel program. While the …


Lessons Learned From Efforts At Institutional Change: Case Studies Of Six Ocept Institutions, T. G. Chenoweth, M. K. Kinnick, R. D. Walleri Jan 2003

Lessons Learned From Efforts At Institutional Change: Case Studies Of Six Ocept Institutions, T. G. Chenoweth, M. K. Kinnick, R. D. Walleri

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

As one part of a multifaceted evaluation of the Oregon Collaborative for Excellence in the Preparation of Teachers (OCEPT), a case study approach was used to enable a deeper understanding of how a diverse group of six institutions attempted to achieve OCEPT goals and to learn more about factors that facilitated or hindered their efforts. Multiple sources of data were used, with heavy reliance on a series of on-site interviews. The analytical framework included a "depth" and "pervasiveness" typology of institutional change and a view of change as encompassing "meaning," "organization," and "effects." While goals and accomplishment levels, as well …


Geosciences For Elementary Educators: A Course Assessment, M. L. Cummings, M. Goodrich, D. Burmester Jan 2003

Geosciences For Elementary Educators: A Course Assessment, M. L. Cummings, M. Goodrich, D. Burmester

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

Geosciences for Elementary Educators engages future elementary teachers in a hands-on investigation of topics aligned with the third and fifth grade Earth/Space Science and Scientific Inquiry benchmarks of the Oregon Content Standards. The course was designed to develop the content background of elementary teachers within the framework of the science described in the content standards, to provide an opportunity for future teachers to explore the content area in relation to what takes place in the classrooms of elementary schools, and to initiate a community of learners focused on teaching science to elementary students. The course focused on four themes: the …


Methods Of Smile: A Science Seminar Course In "Deliberate Education", E. Davis-Butts, R. Collay Jan 2003

Methods Of Smile: A Science Seminar Course In "Deliberate Education", E. Davis-Butts, R. Collay

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

Oregon State University’s Science and Math Investigative Learning Experiences (SMILE) Program is an enrichment program for minority and underrepresented K-12 students. Through an eight-year iterative process, SMILE has developed and refined a science seminar course that allows undergraduate and master’s degree students to explore science enrichment for youth. Students enrolled in the course are engaged in teaching and learning as a community of learners with a focus on service learning. The intended audience for the course is those students who are interested in working in educational settings with youth—as classroom teachers, science/mathematics professionals engaged in precollege outreach, and the like. …


The Occurrence Of Reform Teaching Practice In Undergraduate Mathematics And Science Classes: The Students' Perspective, P. D. Morrell, J. B. Carroll Jan 2003

The Occurrence Of Reform Teaching Practice In Undergraduate Mathematics And Science Classes: The Students' Perspective, P. D. Morrell, J. B. Carroll

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

No abstract provided.