Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Loving The World And Our Children Enough--Nurturing Decidedly Different Scientifc Minds, By Design, Stephanie Pace Marshall

Publications & Research

Wise world-shaping and problem-solving requires that we and our children think in decidedly different, integral and wise ways. This transformation requires a fundamental shift in consciousness and the emergence of global minds that can creatively live into a new worldview of an interconnected planet and a sustainable and interdependent human family. "The fullness of our humanity and the sustainability of our planet rest with the nurturing of decidedly different minds."

O Debate Ciências Versus Humanidades No Século Xix: Reflexões Sobre O Ensino De Ciências No Collegio De Pedro Ii [The Science Vs. Humanities Debate In The Xix Century: Reflections On The Teaching Of The Sciences In The College Pedro Ii], Karl M. Lorenz, Ariclê Vechia

Education Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Visport Project: Visualization Of Port Logistics, Petros J. Katsioloudis, Ginger S. Watson

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The article focuses on the introduction of Visualization in Port Logistics (VisPort) web-based tool project for the visualization of port careers and logistics in the U.S. It outlines the educational objectives of the project including the virtual reality experience associated with port operation, the multimedia environment for the learning of students, and the simulation of port logistics. It mentions that the scientific and technical visualization curriculum offered to students enhances the skills related to scientific and mathematical concepts as well as the experience on graphic techniques.

Calculus, Biology And Medicine: A Case Study In Quantitative Literacy For Science Students, Kim Rheinlander, Dorothy Wallace

Numeracy

This paper describes a course designed to enhance the numeracy of biology and pre-medical students. The course introduces students with the background of one semester of calculus to systems of nonlinear ordinary differential equations as they appear in the mathematical biology literature. Evaluation of the course showed increased enjoyment and confidence in doing mathematics, and an increased appreciation of the utility of mathematics to science. Students who complete this course are better able to read the research literature in mathematical biology and carry out research problems of their own.

Reorganizing School Mathematics For Quantitative Literacy, Rick Gillman

Numeracy

This paper offers an alternative curriculum for high school mathematics. It proposes replacing the Algebra-Geometry-Algebra rush to calculus model with one which focuses on improving student problem-solving skills and general quantitative literacy skills while reinforcing basic manipulative skills. Most of these goals are gained by expanding the current single-year algebra-one course into two years. The model proposes moving “learning to write proofs” from the traditional geometry course into a separate discrete mathematics course. It requires statistics for every student, and requires a senior-level modeling course for every college-going student. In addition, the proposed model creates opportunities for students to move …

Quantitative Reasoning In The Contemporary World, 1: The Course And Its Challenges:, Shannon W. Dingman, Bernard L. Madison

Numeracy

The authors describe successes and challenges in developing a QL-friendly course at the University of Arkansas. This work is part of a three-year NSF project Quantitative Reasoning in the Contemporary World (QRCW) that supported the expansion of the course. The course, MATH 2183, began experimentally in Fall 2004 as a section of finite mathematics known informally as “News Math” for 26 students from arts and humanities disciplines. Over the past six years, the course has evolved and now MATH 2183 is approved to satisfy the College of Arts and Sciences mathematics requirement for the Bachelor of Arts degree. In 2009-2010, …

Parts Of The Whole: Is Everything Equally Important?, Dorothy Wallace

Numeracy

Two strategies are proposed for sorting out priorities and goals in education. At the college level the column argues that goals, and therefore requirements, should be set based on the desired knowledge base of the entire population rather than the individual. At the scale of a single K-12 classroom the column argues that priority be given to content requiring most instructor intervention, describing how the structure of class time and school activities would change as a result. Implementation of these strategies would lead to more efficient use of teacher’s time and effort, better allocation of systemic resources, and clarity of …

Igniting And Nurturing The Next Generation Of Stem Talent, Innovation And Leadership, By Design, Stephanie Pace Marshall

Publications & Research

Regrettably, most American students experience STEM learning as an exclusive, individual, theoretical and “formulaic” enterprise. By decoupling STEM education from the human experience, we have distorted the essential nature of the scientific enterprise and advanced instrumentalist and utilitarian rationales for pursuing STEM careers—global economic superiority and technological competition.

The Status Of School Science Laboratory Technicians In Australian Secondary Schools : Research Report Prepared For The Department Of Education, Employment And Workplace Relations, Mark Hackling

Research outputs pre 2011

Australia needs a scientifically literate society and a supply of scientists and technologists to sustain a thriving economy and to address a wide range of social and environmental challenges. The goals of scientific literacy and a sufficient supply of science and technology graduates from higher education require that primary and secondary schools offer authentic and inquiry oriented science curricula that engage students and inspire them to continue their studies of science (Ainley et al., 2008). Science teachers depend heavily on good facilities and high quality technical support to implement an engaging and inquiry-oriented curriculum and this will be particularly important …

Computing For The Masses: Extending The Computer Science Curriculum With Information Technology Literacy, Jorge Pérez, Meg C. Murray

Faculty Articles

Enrollments in computer science programs continue to drop as demand for workers skilled in computing increases. Information technology scholars face the ironic challenge of attracting more students into computing disciplines in the age of ubiquitous computing. This paper chronicles a decision by a department of computer science and information systems to offer an information technology literacy course as a service to its institution. Educational and curricular justifications for the course progressed in parallel with recognition of the course's strategic value to the department in the face of sharp declines in the number of students majoring in CS or IS. Following …

Quantitative Literacy Across The Curriculum: A Case Study, Benjamin Steele, Semra Kiliç-Bahi

Numeracy

We describe a quantitative literacy (QL) program at Colby-Sawyer College, a small, residential, liberal arts college in New Hampshire. This program has grown rapidly from a traditional math curriculum to a college-wide understanding of quantitative literacy and voluntary participation by many faculty members in all departments. More than 80% of the faculty agreed that it would be useful for students to be able to use quantitative skills in their courses, but only 24 % thought students were capable of doing very well in mathematics. Twenty-three faculty members attended a summer workshop, funded by NSF, DUE # 0633133, in which they …

Expanding The Database Curriculum, Meg Murray, Mario Guimaraes

Faculty Articles

As database concepts and technologies continue to evolve there exists a need to expand the topics included in database curricula. This is challenging given the restraints on the number of courses that can be included in a typical CS or IS program. While a set of commonly identified core concepts and principles exists, there is little consensus on what supplemental materials should be included in database courses. Through an NSF proof-of-concept grant, we designed and developed courseware incorporating the use of animations to deepen and enrich standard presentations of core database concepts and to complement database teachings as found in …

Creating Communities Of Mathematical Thinkers In The Pre-Kindergarten Classroom., Robin Penley Herndon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes a standards-based pre-kindergarten mathematics curriculum. The purpose of this thesis was to create a series of original lesson plans for the pre-kindergarten classroom that would address defined standards with instructional and other materials appropriate for teaching and assessing student understanding of the concepts. The curriculum is based on standards set forth by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the Virginia Department of Education's Foundation Blocks for Early Learning. The body of the work introduces the foundation for the thesis with theoretical underpinning, defines the content strands and learning objectives, establishes a pacing schedule for meeting …

Does Changing The Definition Of Science Solve The Establishment Clause Problem For Teaching Intelligent Design As Science In Public Schools? Doing An End-Run Around The Constitution, Ann Marie Lofaso

The University of New Hampshire Law Review

[Excerpt] "When Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species By Means of Natural Selection in 1859, it sparked some of the most contentious debates in American intellectual history, debates that continue to rage today. Although these debates have numerous political ramifications, the question posed in this paper is narrow: Does the Establishment Clause permit a particular assessment of current evolutionary theory – intelligent design (“ID”) – to be taught as science in American elementary and secondary public schools? This article shows that it does not.

To understand current disputes over whether and how to teach the origins of life …

A Culturally And Linguistically Responsive Curriculum For Secondary Biology Teachers, Raquel Georgina Martinez

All Graduate Projects

Research was conducted in the following areas, which help support the need for a culturally and linguistically responsive curriculum for secondary biology teachers. The history of both bilingual education and science, the importance of bilingual education, a summarization of selected bilingual and ESL models, bilingual and science curriculum, supported bilingual research, standardized tests, science and ELL students, and in closing secondary bilingual research. Based on the conducted research, the curriculum was developed utilizing the late-exit bilingual model, preview/review, and the incorporation of the student's culture.

Imsa20: Bold Ideas, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

IMSA History

In the mid 1980s, the state of Illinois, recognizing a sharply increased need for highly skilled leaders in mathematics, science and technology, founded the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy®. Twenty years later, the national demand for mathematics, science and technology leaders has never been greater. The National Academies report - Rising Above the Gathering Storm and President Bush's American Competitiveness Initiative - address the growing concern that the United States is losing its competitive advantage as countries abroad invest heavily in the education and training of scientists and engineers. Both initiatives call for increased commitments in scientific research and in …

Larry Math Cards, Larry Hillman, Institute For The Development Of Gifted Education, Ricks Center For Gifted Children, University Of Denver

Ricks Curriculum Units Series

Larry Hillman - teacher, mentor, and mathematician, was the creator of the mathematical problems found within the Institute for the Development of Gifted Education's publication, Larry Math Cards. Larry taught at the middle school level at the Ricks Center for Gifted Children on the University of Denver campus from 1999 until his death in 2002. He was passionate about teaching gifted learners and his students knew him to be a uniquely brilliant scholar and a stimulating educator. He enlightened their understanding of mathematics as his questions challenged their assumptions and his encouragement fueled their ambitions.

Larry loved joining his …

Why Are School Districts Abandoning The Core-Plus Mathematics Curriculum, Amber Rae Richgels

Mathematics Graduate Theses

In this paper, the author establishes that high schools are abandoning the Core-Plus Mathematics curriculum and determines the need for curricular reform and the motivation to develop such standards-based programs. She discovers that although Core- Plus is a nationally recognized, exemplary mathematics curriculum, school districts are deciding to discontinue the curricular option of Core-Plus. The author reviewed literature and interviewed teachers from schools that have recently decided to abandon Core-Plus in attempt to determine factors leading to these decisions. This paper discusses those interviews, provides suggestions for the future adoption of Core-Plus, and concludes with recommendations that further study be …

First Experiences With Object Lessons In Nineteenth-Century Brazil: Origins Of A Progressive Pedagogy For The Brazilian Primary School, Karl M. Lorenz, Ariclê Vechia

Education Faculty Publications

This paper describes the methodology of Object Teaching and relates how its appearance in Brazil was a transnational phenomenon that achieved its maximum articulation in 1886 with Rui Barbosa’s translation of Norman Calkins’ Primary Object Lessons. It begins with an overview of primary school teaching in Brazil in the second half of the 19th century, followed by discussion of Barbosa’s ideas on promoting change in the schools. Central to the exposition are the ideas contained in a report that Barbosa submitted to the National Assembly in 1882, in which he proposed a new organization of primary school education, suggestions for …

Fractions, Decimals, And Percents : A Fifth Grade Curriculum Unit, Jeffrey Li

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This independent study outlines a fifth grade curriculum unit for fractions, decimals, and percents. The unit utilizes a problem-solving approach to lead to deep understanding of fractions and their relations to decimals and percents. The study is influenced by writings by Hiebert, Dewey, Piaget, \/ygotsky, and Fosnot, and uses a lesson planning format created by Hal Melnick. Four explorations drive the unit:

Exploration 1: What is a fraction?

Exploration 2: Going Deeper with Fractions

Exploration 3: Connecting Fractions to Decimals and Percents

Exploration 4: Comparing Fractional Amounts

Students’ Assessment Of Biology Education At Marshall University, Chris A. Barker

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this thesis research was to evaluate the quality of scientific education offered in the College of Science’s Department of Biology at Marshall University. The objectives of this study were to emphasize the important aspects of higher education assessment, point out that a scientifically literate citizenry is imperative for society to function effectively, and to determine what factors contribute to differences among students with regard to their perception of the quality of scientific education they are receiving at Marshall. A survey questionnaire was administered to students in eleven biological science courses during the Fall semester of 2003 and …

Enhancing The Cs Curriculum With With Aspect-Oriented Software Development (Aosd) And Early Experience, Konstantin Läufer, George K. Thiruvathukal, Tzilla Elrad

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Aspect-oriented software development (AOSD) is evolving as an important step beyond existing software development approaches such as object-oriented development. An aspect is a module that captures a crosscutting concern, behavior that cuts across different units of abstraction in a software application; expressed as a module, such behavior can be enabled and disabled transparently and non-invasively, without changing the application code itself. Increasing industry demand for expertise in AOSD gives rise to the pedagogical challenge of covering this methodology and its foundations in the computer science curriculum. We present our curricular initiative to incorporate a novel course in AOSD in the …

An Integration Of Chemistry, Biology, And Physics: The Interdisciplinary Laboratory, Gerald R. Van Hecke, Kerry K. Karukstis, Richard C. Haskell, Catherine S. Mcfadden, F Sheldon Wettack

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

As a new venture to integrate research and education, a pilot section of a first-year laboratory sequence known as the Interdisciplinary Laboratory (ID Lab) was introduced on the Harvey Mudd campus during the 1999–2000 academic year and continues to be offered. The ID Lab attempts to bridge laboratory experiences from biology, chemistry, and physics for the first-year student. Taught by a team of faculty from these disciplines, the course seeks both to illustrate commonality of investigative methods and laboratory techniques in these sciences and to introduce discipline-specific principles. Experiments with a chemistry component include the Molecular Weight of Macromolecules, the …

Journaling In The Secondary Mathematics Classroom: An Introduction, Defense, And Resource, Emily K. Falgier

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

Programa De Ensino Da Escola Secundária Brasileira: 1850-1951 [Teaching Programs Of The Brazilian Secondary School: 1850-1951], Karl M. Lorenz, Ariclê Vechia

Education Faculty Publications

O livro e uma coletânea de dezoito documentos que delineiam os conteúdos programáticos ensinados na escola secundaria brasileira de 1850 a 1951. Os documentos correspondem a reformas educacionais efetuadas neste período. Dentre os programas da coletânea, quinze foram elaborados especificamente para o Colégio Pedro II, no Rio de Janeiro. Os outros três foram expedidos pelo Ministério da Educação para serem implementados em nível nacional. Os programas de estudo contem informações sobre os itens de conteúdos das matérias e sua organização nas series, o numero de lições atribuídas a cada tópico, a carga semanal, e referencias a autores e livros textos …

1: "To Know Ourselves", The U.S. Department Of Energy, The Human Genome Project

Genomics: Past & Future

AT THE END OF THE ROAD in Little Cottonwood Canyon, near Salt Lake City, Alta is a place of near-mythic renown among skiers. In time it may well assume similar status among molecular geneticists. In December 1984, a conference there, co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, pondered a single question: Does modern DNA research offer a way of detecting tiny genetic mutations—and, in particular, of observing any increase in the mutation rate among the survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings and their descendants? In short the answer was, Not yet. But in an atmosphere of rare intellectual fertility, …

The Power Of An Idea..., Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

IMSA History

It is our privilege to share with you the First Decade Report of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, an educational laboratory engaged in serious inquiry about critical issues of teaching and learning.

Ten years ago, IMSA opened its doors with 210 students, 12 faculty members, 21 courses, no residence halls, no computers, no external programs, many unanswered questions and an uncertain future. During our early years, we faced many challenges; these strengthened our resolve and deepened our commitment to transform teaching and learning in mathematics, science and technology.

While IMSA is still a very young enterprise, in ten short …

Issues In Primary Mathematics Education Computers: Classroom Practice And Curriculum Reform, Lorraine Kershaw, Kevin Jones, Len Sparrow

Research outputs pre 2011

The advent of an interactive multimedia approach in teaching and learning has opened up yet another horizon to be explored in search of the perceived potential of the computer in primary mathematics education. Benefits promoted have included its use as a motivational aid, the developing of content knowledge and problem solving skills of children of varying abilities, its capacity to support an integrated curriculum, and to assist children in controlling their own learning. Many have doubts about the veracity of these assertions and disagree about the types of appropriate uses of the computer. For classroom teachers, software and hardware availability, …

2: "The Mapping Of Chromosome 16", Norman A. Doggett, Raymond L. Stallings, Carl E. Hildebrand, Robert K. Moyzis

Genomics: Past & Future

Human chromosome 16 is the main focus of the mapping efforts at Los Alamos. The large photomicrograph on these opening pages illustrates the starting point for those mapping efforts, the evaluation of our chromosome-16-specific library of cloned fragments. Among the 23 pairs of human chromosomes, one pair, chromosome 16, is identified by fluorescence in-situ hybridization. Thousands of yellow fluorescent probes derived from the clone library have hybridized to both copies of chromosome 16. The high density and uniform coverage of the fluorescent signals were a strong indication that we could use the library to construct a map of overlapping cloned …

Perfil Quali-Quantitativo Dos Currículos Do Ensino Secundário Brasileiro No Século Xix [A Quali-Quantitative Profile Of The Curricula Of The Brazilian Secondary School Of The Xix Century], Karl M. Lorenz, Ariclê Vechia

Education Faculty Publications

O trabalho caracteriza a organização e os conteúdos dos currículos adotados na escola secundária brasileira de 1838 a 1900, tomando como referência o Colégio Pedro II. O estudo classifica as disciplinas em quatro conjuntos curriculares: Humanidades, Ciências, Matemáticas e Estudos Sociais. Analise, quantitativamente, as disciplinas dos conjuntos curriculares, sua frequência e distribuição nas series, e a carga horaria atribuída elas.

The paper describes the organization and contents of the curricula adopted in the Brazilian secondary school for the years 1838 to 1900, using as its reference the College Pedro II. The study classifies the curricular disciplines in four groups: Humanities, …