Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Keyword
-
- Ethics (3)
- Mathematics education (3)
- 8/2(2+2) (1)
- Active learning (1)
- Affect (1)
-
- Analysis (1)
- Annihilators (1)
- Behaviorism (1)
- Bilingual education (1)
- Calculus (1)
- Cauchy-Euler (1)
- Classroom learning (1)
- Clustering (1)
- Community college (1)
- Competitive binding (1)
- Computer-centered learning (1)
- Conservation laws (1)
- Critical ethnomathematics (1)
- Data science (1)
- Developmental mathematics (1)
- Discipline and profession of mathematics (1)
- Dystopia (1)
- Education (1)
- Educational technology (1)
- Elementary education (1)
- Emergency remote teaching (1)
- Equity & social justice (1)
- Ethical decision (1)
- Ethical mathematical practice (1)
- Figurate number (1)
Articles 1 - 20 of 20
Full-Text Articles in Education
A Generalized Method Of Undetermined Coefficients, James S. Cook, William J. Cook
A Generalized Method Of Undetermined Coefficients, James S. Cook, William J. Cook
CODEE Journal
The method of undetermined coefficients is used to solve constant coefficient nonhomogeneous differential equations whose forcing function is itself the solution of a homogeneous constant coefficient differential equation. In this paper, we show that the classical methods for tackling constant coefficient equations, including the method of undetermined coefficients, generalize to much wider class linear differential equations which, for example, include Cauchy-Euler type equations. This general method includes an explicit construction of the fundamental solution sets of such equations. We also briefly consider where this method can be applied by producing the most general second and third order differential equations that …
Mathematics Education As Dystopia: A Future Beyond, Peter Appelbaum, Charoula Stathopoulou, Constantinos Xenofontos
Mathematics Education As Dystopia: A Future Beyond, Peter Appelbaum, Charoula Stathopoulou, Constantinos Xenofontos
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
We argue that scholars and practitioners of mathematics education need to find new directions through recognition of its dystopic characteristics, and embrace these characteristics as both the source of challenges and method of response. This contrasts with the generally utopic approach of most scholarship in the field. We offer critical ethnomathematics education as a model, since it has its own origins in lingering dystopic legacies. A perpetual hopelessness and disempowerment is one implicit curriculum of contemporary mathematics education, where the mathematics one learns might help to describe things, yet hardly assists in transforming the reification of power and agency in …
Calculus Iii: Under The Influence Of Peer Instruction, Alan Von Herrmann, L. Jeneva Clark
Calculus Iii: Under The Influence Of Peer Instruction, Alan Von Herrmann, L. Jeneva Clark
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
In peer Instruction, students engage with core course concepts and then explain those concepts to one another in small groups. Unlike in lecture format, peer instruction involves every student in the class. In Spring 2019, the first authot began using a modified version of peer instruction in Calculus III classes. He started each class by discussing important Calculus III concepts from three standpoints (the formula, the geometry behind the formula, and the physics behind the formula). During the last 20 minutes of each 50-minute class session, he polled the students using questions in the “Goldilocks Zone” – not too hard …
Higher Meanings: A Speaker Series Connecting Mathematics And Religion, Lawrence M. Lesser, Patricia S. Barrientos, Ben Zeidman
Higher Meanings: A Speaker Series Connecting Mathematics And Religion, Lawrence M. Lesser, Patricia S. Barrientos, Ben Zeidman
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
An innovative grant-funded general adult audiences international speaker series on connections between mathematics and religion yielded six 2021 (now archived) presentations. We share reflections and lessons learned, informed by two sets of surveys.
Navigating Mathematics Teacher Preparation During A Time Of Crisis, Zareen G. Rahman, Rani Satyam, Younggon Bae
Navigating Mathematics Teacher Preparation During A Time Of Crisis, Zareen G. Rahman, Rani Satyam, Younggon Bae
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
In this paper we highlight the experience of a mathematics teacher educator (MTE) and their prospective teachers (PTs) in a middle school mathematics methods course during the 2020 shift to online instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We believe it is valuable to report how the MTE reflected on their instructional decision-making in response to this massive transition to remote instruction. We also report that PTs needed support and guidance to employ new teaching practices they had learned in the methods course instead of reverting to familiar teaching methods.
Stewardship Of Mathematics: Essential Training For Contributors To, And Users Of, The Practice Of Mathematics, Rochelle E. Tractenberg
Stewardship Of Mathematics: Essential Training For Contributors To, And Users Of, The Practice Of Mathematics, Rochelle E. Tractenberg
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
A steward of the discipline was originally defined as an individual to whom “we can entrust the vigor, quality, and integrity of the field”, and more specifically, as “someone who will creatively generate new knowledge, critically conserve valuable and useful ideas, and responsibly transform those understandings through writing, teaching, and application” [8]. Originally articulated for doctoral education, in 2019 the construct of stewardship was expanded so that it can also be applied to non-academic practitioners in any field, and can be initiated earlier than doctoral education [18]. In this paper, we apply this construct to the context of mathematics, and …
Towards Pedagogy Supporting Ethics In Modelling, Marie Oldfield
Towards Pedagogy Supporting Ethics In Modelling, Marie Oldfield
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
Education for concepts such as ethics and societal responsibility that are critical in building robust and applicable mathematical and statistical models do currently exist in isolation but have not been incorporated into the mainstream curricula at the school or university level. This is partially due to the split between fields (such as mathematics, statistics, and computer science) in an educational setting but also the speed with which education is able to keep up with industry and its requirements. I argue that principles and frameworks of socially responsible modelling should begin at school level and that this would mean that ethics …
Benny, Barbara, And The Ethics Of Edtech, Geillan Aly
Benny, Barbara, And The Ethics Of Edtech, Geillan Aly
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
Erlwanger (1973) shook the mathematics education world when he introduced Benny, a student who successfully worked through a behavioristic curriculum. Erlwanger showed how far removed Benny’s understanding of mathematics was from expectations. Erlwanger’s legacy is the basis for this comparative case study which explores students’ actions in the modern, in-class computer-centered emporium classroom. Many striking similarities are found between Pearson’s MyMathLabs (MML) and Benny’s Individually Prescribed Instruction curriculum. In this case study we meet Barbara, a student who succeeds in MML but shows little understanding of mathematical concepts and demonstrates that the legacy of Benny is his continued appearance in …
Violence In Mathematics Teaching. Reflections Inspired By Levinas’ Totality And Infinity, Adriano Demattè
Violence In Mathematics Teaching. Reflections Inspired By Levinas’ Totality And Infinity, Adriano Demattè
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
In mathematics class, violence is carried out in some usually not recognized situations. In this article, I share some reflections on the topic inspired by some passages of Totality and Infinity, work of the French-Lithuanian philosopher Emmanuel Levinas (1906-1995). I find violence by the teacher in not promoting students’ understanding of mathematics, in a distorted use of rhetoric, and in interrupting an ethical relation. This article analyses situations taken from class activities, focusing on the teacher’s presentation of mathematical content and students’ interventions. I also propose that the improvement of interventions in mathematics education is possible and suggest theoretical …
The Formal Presentation Language Of Mathematics And Communication Ethics, Marshall Gordon
The Formal Presentation Language Of Mathematics And Communication Ethics, Marshall Gordon
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
Mathematics employs a formal language where symbols, verbs, and nouns serve to express terms, concepts, and rules that concatenate to definitions, problem-solving procedures, and proofs. Taken together these constitute the expository language of mathematics found in journals, textbooks, and demonstrations. As a communication given to informing, there are epistemological and ethical considerations that deserve examination. For in keeping with the commitment to an aesthetic of concision promulgated by tradition, the formal presentation language and style of mathematics, while valuable in furthering the body of knowledge, provides only the conclusion of an inquiry, completely excluding the language of investigation that informed …
Analysis Of A Mathematical Model Of Real-Time Competitive Binding On A Microarray, Frank H. Lynch
Analysis Of A Mathematical Model Of Real-Time Competitive Binding On A Microarray, Frank H. Lynch
CODEE Journal
A mathematical model of competitive binding on a microarray in real-time yields a planar system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. This model can be used to explore dimensionless formulation, linear approximation, and reduction. Real-time competitive binding is proposed as an uncommon approach to advance the study of planar systems of differential equations.
An Urgent Plea For More Graduate Programs In Statistics Education, David Eli Drew, Sam Behseta, Cherie L. Ichinose
An Urgent Plea For More Graduate Programs In Statistics Education, David Eli Drew, Sam Behseta, Cherie L. Ichinose
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
Lately, much has been written about the importance of amplifying statistics-related content in the K-12 curricula. This can be viewed in parallel or as an addendum to the existing mathematics curricula in the United States. Nevertheless, a key component of this debate is the lack of robust and cutting-edge academic programs in statistics education. In this piece, we emphasize the urgent need for investing in creating strong statistics education programs, which would significantly contribute to nurturing quantitative literacy as well as preparing a more informed citizenry in the 21st century.
A Reflection On Growth Mindset And Meritocracy, Rachel L. Petrik, Julianne Vega, Andrés R. Vindas-Meléndez
A Reflection On Growth Mindset And Meritocracy, Rachel L. Petrik, Julianne Vega, Andrés R. Vindas-Meléndez
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
As mathematicians working in higher education we reflect on meritocracy and growth mindset with a focus on the relationship between the two. We also note the subtle differences between growth mindset and grit. Our reflection ends with suggestions for how to move forward in the math classroom and throughout the collegiate level.
The Problem Of Words: Learning To Teach Mathematics When Numbers And Languages Mix, Gladys Krause
The Problem Of Words: Learning To Teach Mathematics When Numbers And Languages Mix, Gladys Krause
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
In this piece I propose a perspective shift, from a simplified view of mathematics story problems to a more academically rigorous perspective that integrates mathematical proficiency and language practices crucial for educating bilingual students. The data presented in this article provide a window into what preparing bilingual pre-service teachers to teach mathematics might involve. I discuss issues that arise in the context of preparing Spanish-English bilingual pre-service teachers in a way that can inform their practice in linguistically and culturally diverse classrooms.
Lessons Learned From The Disorder Of Operations, Egan J. Chernoff
Lessons Learned From The Disorder Of Operations, Egan J. Chernoff
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
The purpose of this article, in general, is to explore certain possible outcomes associated with an underaged gambler attempting to collect his rightful winnings. More specifically, this article is a thought experiment investigating the union of (1) skill testing questions, (2) the equation that recently broke/divided the internet, and (3) how different outcomes render different elements of the thought experiment moot. For example, when the final arbiter has total dominion over a particular outcome, the mathematics of a skill testing question is rendered moot. The article concludes with a discussion revealing how disorder of operations could be considered the teaching …
In Search Of Star Clusters: An Introduction To The K-Means Algorithm, Marcio Nascimento
In Search Of Star Clusters: An Introduction To The K-Means Algorithm, Marcio Nascimento
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
This article is a gentle introduction to K-means, a mathematical technique of processing data for further classification. We begin with a brief historical introduction, where we find connections with Plato’s Timæus, von Linné’s binomial classification, and the star clustering concept of Mary Sommerville and collaborators. Artificial intelligence algorithms use K-means as a classification methodology to learn about data in a very accurate way, because it is a quantitative procedure based on similarities.
Navigating A Calculus Course During A Pandemic: A Usma Perspective, Shane K. Smith, Tyson H. Walsh, Lee Evans
Navigating A Calculus Course During A Pandemic: A Usma Perspective, Shane K. Smith, Tyson H. Walsh, Lee Evans
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
In this article we analyze publications written about different teaching modalities and evaluate how each applies to a calculus class during the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. We focus on the positives and negatives of teaching and learning in a virtual, classroom, or HyFlex environment. Although arguments could be made for each environment, especially given different institutional objectives, this work aims to explain why we eventually preferred teaching our Fall 2020 multivariable calculus course in a face-to-face classroom setting at the United States Military Academy at West Point. We also offer measures of performance to compare the current COVID-19 semester with previous …
Happiness In Mathematics Education: The Experiences Of Preservice Elementary Teachers, Jeffrey Pair, Kent Dinh
Happiness In Mathematics Education: The Experiences Of Preservice Elementary Teachers, Jeffrey Pair, Kent Dinh
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
In this paper, we discuss preservice elementary teachers (PSTs) self-report of their happiness or unhappiness. Several times throughout a mathematics content capstone course, PSTs responded to prompts in which they described times from their past schooling experiences or during the course in which they experienced happiness or unhappiness in learning mathematics. Through thematic analysis, we examined their common experiences related to happiness and their mathematics learning. We found that PSTs’ happiness is related to expectations of themselves, their teachers, their peers, and mathematics itself. The study illuminates PST beliefs about mathematics teaching, collaborative group work, and the nature of mathematical …
Middle School Students Generating Mathematical Problems From A Real-Life Situation, David Coffland, Ying Xie
Middle School Students Generating Mathematical Problems From A Real-Life Situation, David Coffland, Ying Xie
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
In this study, we examined the effect of different presentation formats of a realistic situation on students’ mathematical problem-posing behavior. We divided thirty-six middle school students into two groups, gave them a pretest, and then showed them a realistic, problem-posing situation in Artifact or Video format. We used Silver’s core dimensions of creativity, namely fluency, flexibility, and originality, to measure participants’ problem-posing activity. The results for the fluency measures showed that the Artifact group wrote more questions than the Video group but the same number of mathematics problems. The Video group posed problems in more mathematical domains than the Artifact …
Plane Figurate Number Proofs Without Words Explained With Pattern Blocks, Gunhan Caglayan
Plane Figurate Number Proofs Without Words Explained With Pattern Blocks, Gunhan Caglayan
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
This article focuses on an artistic interpretation of pattern block designs with primary focus on the connection between pattern blocks and plane figurate numbers. Through this interpretation, it tells the story behind a handful of proofs without words (PWWs) that are inspired by such pattern block designs.