Education Commons^™

General Education Course In Intuitive Quantum Physics, Michael C. Wittmann

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

This project improves student conceptual and epistemological knowledge in the sciences while developing a template for formative assessment in a general education course at the University of Maine. A general education course in Intuitive Quantum Physics is being created in which non-science students learn quantum physics through simple observations, basic logical reasoning, and graphical analysis. Materials from three proven curricula are being adapted to include explicit discussions of epistemological issues. The three curricula (developed in part with NSF funding) that are being adapted to create the Intuitive Quantum Physics course include Activity-Based Tutorials in wave mechanics, New Model Course in …

College Of Engineering Senior Design Competition Fall 2007, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Fred and Harriet Cox Senior Design Competition Projects

Part of every UNLV engineering student’s academic experience, the senior design project stimulates engineering innovation and entrepreneurship. Each student in their senior year chooses, plans, designs, and prototypes a product in this required element of the curriculum. A capstone to the student’s educational career, the senior design project encourages the student to use everything learned in the engineering program to create a practical, real world solution to an engineering challenge.

The senior design competition helps to focus the senior students in increasing the quality and potential for commercial application for their design projects. Judges from local industry evaluate the projects …

The Polygon Game, Kyla Hall

Department of Mathematics: Master's of Arts in Teaching, Exam Expository Papers

The Polygon Game ‐ Take a regular, n‐sided polygon (i.e. a regular n‐gon) and the set of numbers, {1, 2, 3, …, (2n‐2), (2n‐1), 2n}. Place a dot at each vertex of the polygon and at the midpoint of each side of the polygon. Take the numbers and place one number beside each dot. A side sum is the sum of the number assigned to any midpoint plus the numbers assigned to the vertex on either side of the midpoint. A solution to the game is any polygon with numbers assigned to each dot for which all side sums are …

Learner-Centered Assignments In Computer Literacy, Martha E. Myers, Meg C. Murray, Mario Guimaraes, Debra B. Geist

Faculty and Research Publications

Literacy is a concept that is understood to be the identifier of an educated populace. In today's world, literacy includes computer literacy, as well as language and quantitative literacy. This paper describes exercises developed to improve first year students' computer literacy through more learner-centered engagement. Exercises are designed to support learner-centered goals of independent and responsible learners, appropriate breadth and depth of content, teacher as facilitator, and assessment woven into learning. Exercise topics include purchase of a personal computer, basic logic via spreadsheets, an annotated bibliography built with electronic resources, and an integrated assignment customized by and for each student.

Education In The Environment: A Strategy For Continued Interagency Outdoor Education Programming: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending November 30, 2007, Environmental Education Strategy For Nevada

Reports (PLI Education)

During the past three months, the focus of the university’s efforts has included the following highlights:

• Progress was made on three projects to meet SNAP strategic messaging needs: an anti-litter exhibit; a volunteer restoration program with educational components; and activity stations to tell the story of Lee Meadows restoration efforts.
• Interpretive planning is underway for Mountain’s Edge Explorer’s Interpretive Trail.
• A Spanish class tailored to meet the communication needs of environmental educators and interpreters will be offered January 2008.
• Forever Earth was scheduled for 15 days and benefited 411 individuals.
• Eight Discover Mojave Outdoor World events were conducted for 102 …

New Ways Of Teaching Science, Naheed Anwar

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

Problem Solving And Proving Via Generalisation, Michael De Villiers, Mary Garner

Faculty and Research Publications

No abstract provided.

Models Of Interdisciplinary Research And Service Learning At Hope College, Aaron A. Best, Matthew Dejongh, Amanda J. Barton, Jeff R. Brown, Christopher C. Barney

Publications

"Children love to explore the world around them. In doing so they are not aware of disciplinary boundaries or even of disciplines. They move freely from watching ants (biology) to building structures (engineering) to counting rocks (mathematics and geology) to seeing what things dissolve in water (chemistry). Only as they go to school do they learn that humans divide up the way we learn about the universe and start to think within disciplinary boundaries. In doing so, those children, who are now us, lose the ability to think broadly and use the insights of various ways of thinking to solve …

Promoting Mathematical Communication And Community Via Blackboard, Kris H. Green, Erica L. Johnson

Mathematical and Computing Sciences Faculty/Staff Publications

Major changes in mathematics pedagogy include writing as pedagogy and the role of community in learning. The classroom community is naturally extended by the use of online discussion boards. In this paper several models for student use of online discussion boards that have been successfully used to promote mathematical discourse are presented. Structured and unstructured examples that are easily adaptable and transportable to a variety of mathematics classroom settings are offered. These assignments facilitate student engagement and interaction outside of the classroom. Assessment, utility, and transferability are offered. Although the authors use the discussion boards provided by Blackboard, this particular …

Nebraska Earth Systems Education Network – Fall 2007

Nebraska Earth Systems Education Network

Content:

Master’s Online Course to Improve Teachers Science Knowledge by Lindsey Mohlman

Teacher Spotlight: Susan Frack by Susan Frack & Lindsey Mohlman

Nebraska View: A Resource for K-16 Educators by Milda Vaitkus

Mueller Planetarium Goes “Fulldome” by Jack Dunn

ANDRILL Antarctic Geological Drilling by Frank Rack

Toyota USA Foundation Grant to UNL will Promote K-12 Science Education by UNL Office of Communications

Evaluation Of An Adult Education Technology Program, Iwasan D. Kejawa Ed.D

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the adult education technology program at a chartered alternative adult education center in Florida. The adult education center had a low rate of students passing the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). This study examined the impact of the use of computer technology in an effort to improve student learning in mathematics, reading, and science. Computers at the institution were used by all students for tutorials to prepare them for the FCAT and to obtain a high school diploma. The research questions for this study were as follows: 1. Is the education technology …

Breaking The Math Barrier, Bilqees Patel

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

Collaborative Project: Developing A Tutorial Approach To Enhance Student Learning Of Intermediate Mechanics, Michael J. Wittmann

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

There is a need among science students for increased conceptual and mathematical understanding in courses beyond the introductory level. Future scientists, future secondary science teachers, and future engineers who take these courses must create an effective bridge between the mathematical reasoning emphasized in most physics classes and the physical intuition that will guide their future work. Using past success as a template, the collaborating PI's are developing Intermediate Mechanics Tutorials, a set of at least 23 tutorials, including pencil-and-paper conceptual tutorials (15), mathematical tutorials (4), and computer-based tutorials (4), for the purpose of enhancing instruction in intermediate mechanics. Each tutorial …

Making Use Of Bilingual Interview Data: Some Experiences From The Field, Nelofer Halai

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

This paper describes the challenges faced, and rules devised, while dealing with bilingual interview data as part of a life history study of a female science teacher’s conceptions of the nature of science while teaching in a school in Karachi. The interview data generated was both in Urdu and English, which underwent a number of processes (transcription, translation, and transliteration) to evolve into “interim texts,” to finally become a part of the data analysis process. I have called these translated materials “transmuted texts,” as they reflect the original, but have been recreated. This paper is significant because as globalization connects …

Education In The Environment: A Strategy For Continued Interagency Outdoor Programming: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending August 31, 2007, Environmental Education Strategy For Nevada

Reports (PLI Education)

During the past three months, the focus of the university’s efforts has included the following highlights:

• Three projects have been identified to meet SNAP strategic messaging needs: an anti-litter exhibit; a volunteer restoration program with educational components; and activity stations to tell the story of Lee Meadows restoration efforts.
• Interpretive planning is underway for Mountain’s Edge Explorer’s Interpretive Trail.
• A Hispanic survey and monitoring program has been identified.
• A six-week Spanish class tailored to meet the communication needs of environmental educators and interpreters will be offered beginning September 20.
• Forever Earth was scheduled for 11 days and benefited 297 individuals. …

Gk-12: Nsf Graduate Teaching Fellows In K-12 Education At The University Of Maine, Susan H. Brawley, Stephen A. Norton, Barbara J. Cole, Michael Vayda, Eric N. Landis, Susan J. Hunter, Ruey Yehle

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

Eight districts in central Maine that comprise the Penobscot River Educational Partnership (PREP); four of them, including Maine Indian Education, partners in a current GK-12 project, have joined with the University of Maine to form Fellow-teacher teams to introduce K-12 students to experiments, field trips, and discussions in areas such as chemistry, climate change, marine sciences, molecular biology, geology, food sciences, and ecology. The program is: a) helping teachers and students reach the State of Maine's legislatively-mandated standards for Science & Technology (the Maine Learning Results), b) strengthening Fellows' communication and teaching skills, c) providing professional development for Teachers, d) …

The Council On Undergraduate Research As A Resource For Mathematicians, Thomas Q. Sibley

Mathematics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A New Framework For Grading, Kris H. Green, W. Allen Emerson

Mathematical and Computing Sciences Faculty/Staff Publications

Grading is one of the least liked, least understood and least considered aspects of teaching. After years of work, we have developed a grading system that is quite different from traditional and reformed approaches to grading and which meaningfully incorporates and integrates the collection of evidence, the evaluation of evidence, and the reporting of judgments about that evidence. This system satisfies the requirements of good grading system and answers many of the problems faced by more traditional methods by substantially changing the way in which grade information is aggregated, resulting in a final course grade that aligns qualitative evaluation with …

A Rotating Panel Survey To Assess Quality Of Hunter College Education, Jennifer Sousa Brennan, William (Bill) H. Williams

Publications and Research

A rotating sample design is proposed to most accurately measure the perceived quality of a Hunter College education. A representative sample of Hunter College students will belong to one of six rotating panels. Students will be contacted during four rotation periods and report their assessment of the two most recent months. It is advantageous to use a rotating panel design as opposed to a fixed panel design in order to guard against the negative effects of a deteriorating response rate. Stratified sampling will help to ensure representation across major departments and academic year of study. Methods for sampling procedures, stratification, …

Impact Of New Science And Engineering Graduates On Intrastate Labor Markets, Philip A. Trostel

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

A major policy issue confronting states is the level of state support to higher education. A crucial question in this policy debate is whether a state's production of college graduates has a proportionate effect on the level of college attainment in the state. Although it is widely accepted that rising college attainment leads to rising prosperity, there is widespread concern that many new college graduates will take their state-supported degrees to labor markets in other states. The belief that state support to higher education subsidizes the workforce development of other states undermines states' incentives to promote wider access to higher …

The Importance Of Teaching Students How To Read To Comprehend Mathematical Language, Tricia Buchanan

Action Research Projects

In this action research study of my classroom of 8th and 9th grade Algebra I students, I investigated if there are any benefits for the students in my class to learn how to read, translate, use, and understand the mathematical language found daily in their math lessons. I discovered that daily use and practice of the mathematical language in both written and verbal form, by not only me but by my students as well, improved their understanding of the textbook instructions, increased their vocabulary and also increased their understanding of their math lessons. I also found that my students remembered …

The Effects Improving Student Discourse Has On Learning Mathematics, Lindsey Thompson

Action Research Projects

In this action research study of my 8th grade mathematics classroom, I investigated how improving student discourse affects learning mathematics. I conducted this study because I wanted to give students more opportunities to develop and share their ideas with their peers as well as with me. My idea was to create a learning environment that encouraged students to voice their opinions. In order to do so, I needed to reassure and model with my students that they were in a classroom where it was safe to take risks, and they should feel comfortable sharing their ideas. By facilitating activities for …

Effects Of Self-Assessment On Math Homework, Diane Swartzlander

Action Research Projects

In this action research study of my eighth grade differentiated Algebra students, I investigated the effects of students using self-assessment on their homework. Students in my class were unmotivated and failed test objectives consistently. I wanted students to see that they controlled their learning and could be motivated to succeed. Formative assessment tells students how they need to improve. Learning needs to happen before they can be assessed. Self-assessment is one tool that helps students know if they are learning. A rubric scoring guide, daily documentation sheet and feedback on homework and test correlations were used to help students monitor …

Calculators In The Classroom: Help Or Hindrance?, Christina L. Sheets

Action Research Projects

In a world where technology is ever present and ever changing, is too much technology at too young of an age detrimental to a child’s educational success? The purpose of this paper is to share the results of a four-month study that focused on the use of calculators in grade eight. This study was conducted in an eighth grade class, in a small kindergarten through twelfth grade school. This paper will share the findings of a study of a classroom in which calculator use was limited and mental computation was emphasized. The main focus of this study was whether or …

Improving Students’ Story Problem Solving Abilities, Josh Severin

Action Research Projects

In this action research study of my classroom of 8th grade mathematics students, I investigated if learning different problem solving strategies helped students successfully solve problems. I also investigated if students’ knowledge of the topics involved in story problems had an impact on students’ success rates. I discovered that students were more successful after learning different problem solving strategies and when given problems with which they have experience. I also discovered that students put forth a greater effort when they approach the story problem like a game, instead of just being another math problem that they have to solve. An …

Understanding The Mathematical Language, Carmen Melliger

Action Research Projects

In this action research study of my calculus classroom consisting of only 12th grade students, I investigated activities that would affect a student’s understanding of mathematical language. The goal in examining these activities in a systematic way was to see if a student’s deeper understanding of math terms and symbols resulted in a better understanding of the mathematical concepts being taught. I discovered that some students will rise to the challenge of understanding mathematics more deeply, and some will not. In the process of expecting more from students, the frustration level of both the students and the teacher increased. As …

Building Math Esteem In Fifth Grade Students, Karen Schur

Departament of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Master's of Arts in Teaching, Summative Projects

In this action research study of my classroom of 5th grade mathematics, I investigate the levels of math esteem in each student and as a classroom. The definition of esteem on which I am basing my research is the judgment or estimation of the self-assurance of a student in math. I discovered that several of the students entered my classroom with a middle to low level of esteem in math, and about a third of the class already exhibited a positive, high esteem in math. After implementation of the research, and interpreting the data, I believe almost all the students …

It Is Not Just The Solution Anymore, Carol Brown

Departament of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Master's of Arts in Teaching, Summative Projects

In this action research study of a fifth grade enrichment mathematics class, I investigate how problem solving strategies and group work opportunities influence the students’ use of strategies and graphic representations. Though there are no large gains in the students’ use of strategies, some students show minor gains in their use of representations. I also investigate the influence of group work upon usage of representations. At the beginning of the study most students indicate that working in groups is helpful in finding solutions. Toward the end, 52.9 percent of the students indicate that while group work is beneficial for “reasoning” …

Testing Naval Artillery And Other Things, Tricia Buchanan

Department of Mathematics: Master's of Arts in Teaching, Exam Expository Papers

In WWII a tremendous amount of artillery shells were made to support the war efforts. There were problems with the artillery shells sent to the battlefield; the main problem was their lack of ability to blow things up. In other words, they were duds! While one may think that dud shells were the proverbial rare case, in my paper I hope to show you that instead it unfortunately seemed more the norm. The reasons behind this are varied but in this paper I will focus on the testing practices of the artillery shells and some of the issues that occurred …

Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier, Gary Eisenhauer

Department of Mathematics: Master's of Arts in Teaching, Exam Expository Papers

Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier was born in Auxerre, France on March 21, 1768. He was the ninth of twelve children from his father’s second marriage. When he was nine, his mother died. The following year, his father, a tailor, also passed.