Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Maker: Candy Crane Robot, Andy S. Zhang, Angran Xiao, Bijan Bayat Mokhtari

Publications and Research

Candy Crane is a custom-made robot that looks like a traditional tower crane and is used to pick candies by the young users for fun and for learning mechatronics product design. The tower structure is made from either aluminum C-channels or plastics made from 3D printer. Two 12V DC motors and several limit switches are used to control the movement of the crane. A miniature crane to be held by the user is equipped with a linear potentiometer and rotary potentiometer and is used to control the movement of the big tower crane wirelessly through a blue tooth module. An …

Engaging Engineering Experiences For K-5, Melanie L. Villatoro, Servena Narine, Diana Samaroo

Publications and Research

The City University of New York (CUNY) Service Corps mobilizes CUNY students, faculty and staff to work on projects that improve the short and long-term civic, economic and environmental sustainability of New York City and of its residents and communities. Our project was designed to promote A Better Educated City by partnering with Daniel Hale Williams Elementary School; recently designated as a Magnet School for STEM Studies. During the 2014-2015 academic year, two CUNY students worked to develop and implement an Educational Outreach Program which provided children in grades 1-5 with exposure to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.

Prop Demonstrations In Biology Lectures Facilitate Student Learning And Performance, Farshad Tamari, Kevin M. Bonney, Kristin Polizzotto

Publications and Research

Science students can benefit from visual aids. In biology lectures, visual aids are usually limited to tables, figures, and PowerPoint presentations. In this IRB-approved study, we examined the effectiveness of the use of five prop demonstrations, three of which are at the intersection of biology and chemistry, in three community college biology courses. We hypothesized that students’ performance on test questions is enhanced by the use of prop demonstrations. Consistent with our hypothesis, we showed that students learn more effectively and perform better on questions that relate to demonstrations than on questions related to lessons that do not have a …

Lessons Learned From Lesson Study: Focusing On Differentiation For Ells And Students With Special Needs, Anne Marie Marshall, Khalilah Arrington

Publications and Research

This poster will present an overview of the lesson study process within the MATH-UP program. The poster will summarize the components of lesson study and highlight candidate learning from the process. Specifically, the lesson study selected will demonstrate evidence of candidate learning about emergent bilinguals.

Implementing A Flipped Classroom Approach To Cybersecurity Education, Aparicio Carranza, Casimer Decusatis

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

A Quantitative Analysis Of The Relationship Between An Online Homework System And Student Achievement In Pre-Calculus, Parisa Babaali, Lidia Gonzalez

Publications and Research

Supporting student success in entry-level mathematics courses at the undergraduate level has and continues to be a challenge. Recently we have seen an increased reliance on technological supports including software to supplement more traditional in-class instruction. In this paper, we explore the effects on student performance of the use of a computer software program to supplement instruction in an entry-level mathematics course at the undergraduate level, specifically, a pre-calculus course. Relying on data from multiple sections of the course over various semesters, we compare student performance in those classes utilizing the software against those in which it was not used. …

U.S. Needs To Increase Its Scientific Literacy, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Using Diagrams Versus Text For Spaced Restudy: Effects On Learning In 10th Grade Biology Classes, Bradley W. Bergey, Jennifer G. Cromley, Amanda Kirchgessner, Nora S. Newcombe

Publications and Research

BackgroundandAim. Spacedrestudyhasbeentypicallytestedwithwrittenlearning materials, but restudy with visual representations in actual classrooms is under- researched. We compared the effects of two spaced restudy interventions: A Diagram- Based Restudy (DBR) warm-up condition and a business-as-usual Text-Based Restudy (TBR) warm-up condition.

Sample. One hundred and twenty-eight consented high school students in 15 classes.

Methods. Students completed daily warm-ups over a 4-week period. Students were randomly assigned to conditions within classrooms. Warm-ups were independently completed at the start of class meetings and consisted of questions about content covered 1–10 days prior to each warm-up. Students received feedback on their answers each week. A series …

Teaching High School Biology Students To Coordinate Text And Diagrams: Relations With Transfer, Effort, And Spatial Skill, Bradley W. Bergey, Jennifer G. Cromley, Nora S. Newcombe

Publications and Research

There is growing evidence that targeted instruction can improve diagram comprehension, yet one of the skills identified in the diagram comprehension literature—coordinating multiple representations —has rarely been directly taught to students and tested as a classroom intervention. We created a Coordinating Multiple Representation (CMR) intervention that was an addition to an intervention focused on Conventions of Diagrams (COD) and tested their joint effects on diagram comprehension for near transfer (uninstructed biology diagrams), far transfer (uninstructed geology diagrams), and content learning (biology knowledge). The comparison group received instruction using a previously validated intervention that focused exclusively on COD. Participants were 9th–10th …

Case Study: From Gummy Bears To Celery Stalks: Diffusion And Osmosis, Kevin M. Bonney

Publications and Research

The article describes a case study which interperses information on diffusion and osmosis with content review and knowledge application questions, as well as simple experiment that can be conducted without the use of a laboratory. Topics discussed include biological membranes, the use of gummy bears to demonstrate osmosis and osmosis in animal cells. Also mentioned is osmosis in plants. It notes that the case study was developed for use in an introductory undergraduate biology course.

Case Study: Sick On A South American Sugarcane Plantation, Kevin M. Bonney

Publications and Research

A case study is presented that was designed to be used in high school and college level courses to familiarize students with chagas disease, its transmission, and effects in Central and South America. Noted objectives of the lesson include evaluating disease symptoms, examining socioeconomic factors related to the epidemiology, and creating visual aids with public health information. Questions are provided for discussing the a case of chagas disease at a Brazilian sugarcane plantation.

Teaching Standards In Environmental Site Assessments, Angelo Lampousis

Publications and Research

Since 2010, the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences of City College of New York (CCNY) has successfully implemented a two-semester sequence course entitled Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments. From the very beginning of this effort, a total of ten standards per semester were used as mandatory reference material. Based on this experience, several practical ideas emerge as successful means of integrating standards into an academic curriculum.

An African-Centered Approach To Land Education, Salvotore Engel-Dimauro, Karanja Keita Carroll

Publications and Research

Approaches to environmental education which are engaging with place and critical pedagogy have not yet broadly engaged with the African world and insights from Africana Studies and Geography. An African-centered approach facilitates people's reconnection to places and ecosystems in ways that do not reduce places to objects of conquest and things to be exploited for profitability and individual gain. Such an approach offers effective critiques of settler coloniser perspectives on the environment and deeper understandings of the relationship between worldview and ecologically sensitised education. Through examples from Africana Studies and Geography, this article provides an introduction to how an African-centered …

An Argument And Plan For Promoting The Teaching And Learning Of Neglected Tropical Diseases, Kevin M. Bonney

Publications and Research

Neglected tropical diseases constitute a significant public health burden, affecting over one billion people globally, yet this group of diseases is underrepresented in the appropriation of both monetary and intellectual capital for developing improved therapies and public health campaigns. The topic of neglected tropical diseases has been similarly marginalized in the biology classrooms of our nation’s high schools and colleges, despite offering an opportunity to teach and learn about a diverse area of microbiology with far-reaching public health, social, and economic implications. Discussed herein is an argument for increasing the representation of neglected tropical diseases in microbiology education as a …

A Primer For Mathematical Modeling, Marla A. Sole

Publications and Research

With the implementation of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics recommendations and the adoption of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, modeling has moved to the forefront of K-12 education. Modeling activities not only reinforce purposeful problem-solving skills, they also connect the mathematics students learn in school with the mathematics they will use outside of school. Instructors have found mathematical modeling difficult to teach. To successfully incorporate modeling activities I believe that curricular changes should be accompanied by professional development for curriculum developers, classroom teachers, and higher education professionals. This article serves as an introduction to modeling by …

Learning By Visualizing, Nadia Benakli, Ashwin Satyanarayana, Satyanand Singh, Arnavaz Taraporevala

Publications and Research

Technology is universal and omnipresent. It has reshaped the way we function. One of the best ways to incorporate technology in the classroom is as a tool to facilitate learning by using it as a visual aid. This is a type of teaching and learning style in which ideas, concepts, data and other information are associated with images and techniques. In this paper we will discuss some of the tools and present and analyze a number of examples to demonstrate how the use of technology in the classroom and visualization can improve Math and Computer Science learning.

Shabangi Wants To Excite Young About Science, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Species Shout-Outs From Abdul To Zebra: Encouraging Nonmajors To Communicate In The Biology Classroom, Christina P. Colon

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

A Novel Approach In Teaching Stem Subjects Through Cross-Departmental Collaboration In Capstone Courses, Iem Heng, Andy S. Zhang, Farrukh Zia

Publications and Research

In today’s higher education, use of state of the art technology in the classroom and laboratory plays a vital role in hands-on cross-disciplinary activities and demonstration for students to learn the interconnection of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) concepts. To implement these activities, the capstone courses present an ideal opportunity for cross-departmental collaboration. The hands-on robotic design project is introduced in the capstone courses to teach interconnected STEM concepts. This type of project, which has proven very effective in engaging students, is used in many areas of technical courses as hands-on activities and demonstration and, in addition, lab work. …

Utilizing Project-Based Multidisciplinary Design Activities To Enhance Stem Education, Andy S. Zhang, Farrukh Zia, Iem Heng, Sidi Berri

Publications and Research

This paper discusses the use of project-based interdisciplinary design activities to enhance the STEM education in City Tech’s School of Technology and Design. STEM education has been a key in producing qualified individuals to work in today’s fast paced, highly competitive companies. Unfortunately, the supply of qualified workforce has been reduced due to the steady drop of enrollment of college and high school students in STEM related fields for the past twenty years. To tackle the dwindling enrollment of STEM students and low quality of STEM graduates, in a report submitted to Congress in 2007, the National Science Board suggested …

The Mathematics Portfolio: An Alternative Tool To Evaluate Students’ Progress, Marla A. Sole

Publications and Research

This article describes the need for more thorough and varied forms of assessment to evaluate students’ level of understanding in mathematics. Portfolios are one type of assessment tool that, when added to a teacher’s repertoire can improve students’ comprehension and retention and enable students to monitor their own progress and to take more responsibility for their own learning. Portfolio assignments can also help students and teachers to detect and remedy weaknesses and misunderstandings and can increase students’ self-confidence in mathematics. This article discusses what a portfolio is, gives an example of a unit portfolio used in an undergraduate Finite Mathematics …

Introducing Aerospace Engineering To High And Middle Schools, Sean Pratt, Yapah Berry, Olivia Reed, Gaffar Gailani

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Voss Feels People Need To Know How Nature Works, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Computational Insight With Monte Carlo Simulations, Boyan Kostadinov

Publications and Research

We introduce Monte Carlo simulations for estimating areas by playing a game of "darts". We also introduce simulations of random walks. We use compact, vectorized programming, based on the R language, for all computer simulations and visualizations, aimed at high school students. This presentation is based on the Invited, prime time lecture given at the summer camp for gifted high school students at City College of New York, July 13, 2011.

New Approach To Teach Product Design That Breaks The Disciplinary Boundaries, Iem Heng, Andy S. Zhang, Farrukh Zia

Publications and Research

This paper presents an initiative and a strategy to teach product design to students in different engineering technology fields through cross departmental collaboration and cooperation between faculty members in the Mechanical Engineering Technology and the Computer Engineering Technology Departments. The work is funded by the National Science Foundation Advanced Technology Education Division (Award No. DUE-1003712) recently awarded to New York City College of Technology. Traditional approach to teach product design in a college setting was mostly confined by disciplinary boundaries. There were very little or no collaborations among various engineering departments. Advances in computer technology and semiconductor electronics have created …

Introduction Of Mechatronic Technology Into Cross-Department Product Design Curricula, Andy S. Zhang, Iem Heng, Sidi Berri, Farrukh Zia

Publications and Research

This paper presents the work that is currently engaged by faculty in the departments of mechanical engineering technology and computer engineering technology to introduce mechatronic technology into product design curricula of both departments. This work is funded by the National Science Foundation (Award No. DUE-1003721) recently awarded to New York City College of Technology. Advances in computer technology and semiconductor electronics have created a new product design field called mechatronics. Mechatronics treats product design as system design that requires the tight integration of mechanical components, electrical/electronic systems, industrial design ideas, computer-control systems, embedded systems, and intelligent software into the product …

Experiment In Small-Group Homework Tutoring For Remedial Mathematics Students: Preliminary Results, Alice W. Cunningham, Olen Dias, Nieves Angulo

Publications and Research

This paper presents the preliminary results of an 18-section experiment conducted during the Fall 2010 semester regarding the impact of small-group homework-completion tutoring on the performance of Hostos’ remedial mathematics students. The research in question was performed pursuant to a grant, Improving Undergraduate Mathematics Learning: The Effect of Small-Group Homework Tutoring on Remedial Mathematics Learning, from the CUNY Central Office of Academic Affairs. Permission from Hostos’ Institutional Review Board was granted for the conduct of the experiment and for the dissemination of the results.

Teacher Collaboration: Implications For New Mathematics Teachers, Laura M. Gellert, Lidia Gonzalez

Publications and Research

One increasingly popular way of supporting new teachers is through the use of mentoring. New teachers are often paired with mentors as one of a number of supports meant to aid new teachers as they begin their career. The various types of mentoring range from school based mentors assigned by the school to specialty mentors, such as math coaches. Examples of other types of supports that are thought of as separate from formal mentoring are lesson studies, professional development schools, professional development workshops supported by local universities, teacher networks and sponsored professional development. Given the popularity of policies promoting support …

The Future Of Natural Selection Knowledge Measurement: A Reply To Anderson Et Al. (2010), Ross Nehm, Irvin Sam Schonfeld

Publications and Research

The development of rich, reliable, and robust measures of the composition, structure, and stability of student thinking about core scientific ideas (such as natural selection) remains a complex challenge facing science educators. In their recent article (Nehm & Schonfeld 2008), the authors explored the strengths, weaknesses, and insights provided by a detailed exploration of three commonly used measures of student thinking about natural selection in a large sample of underrepresented minority students. One of their core findings was that all of the tools they studied--including the CINS--have strengths and weaknesses that must be carefully taken into consideration by those …

Engagement At The Theater: Science In The Cinema, B. D. Stillion, John M. Pratte, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.