Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Quantitative Literacy Assessments: An Introduction To Testing Tests, Dorothy Wallace, Kim Rheinlander, Steven Woloshin, Lisa Schwartz

Numeracy

This paper describes how professional evaluators construct assessment instruments that work properly to measure the right thing. Constructing an assessment tool begins with getting feedback from relevant experts on the content of questions. The tool is developed and refined through comparison with existing instruments, focus groups and cognitive interviews. The final instrument is formally tested for content validity, usability, reliability and construct validity through a variety of statistical measures. This process of construction is illustrated by two examples relevant to quantitative literacy: the Medical Data Interpretation Test and the Math Attitudes Survey.

Integration With Writing Programs: A Strategy For Quantitative Reasoning Program Development, Nathan D. Grawe, Carol A. Rutz

Numeracy

As an inherently interdisciplinary endeavor, quantitative reasoning (QR) risks falling through the cracks between the traditional “silos” of higher education. This article describes one strategy for developing a truly cross-campus QR initiative: leverage the existing structures of campus writing programs by placing QR in the context of argument. We first describe the integration of Carleton College’s Quantitative Inquiry, Reasoning, and Knowledge initiative with the Writing Program. Based on our experience, we argue that such an approach leads to four benefits: it reflects important aspects of QR often overlooked by other approaches; it defuses the commonly raised objection that QR is …

Assessing Quantitative Reasoning, Corrine H. Taylor

Numeracy

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Risk Taking On Student Creation Of Mathematical Meaning: Contextual Risk Theory, Erin Nicole Houghtaling

Theses and Dissertations

The primary concerns of mathematics educators are learning and teaching mathematics. It is, therefore, natural to ask "what implications and benefits might there be if learning were perceived as a risk-taking event?" (Atkinson, 1957, p. 266). The underlying motivation of this study is to analyze the risks students take in the mathematics classroom and how risk influences student creation of meaning and development of understanding. I define risk in the mathematics classroom to be any observable act that entails uncertain outcome. The research presented here focuses on a table of four students: Andrew, Carina, Kam, and Mark as they grapple …

A Systemic Solution: Elementary Teacher Preparation In Stem Expertise And Engineering Awareness, Louis S. Nadelson, Janet Callahan, Pat Pyke, Anne Hay, Cheryl Schrader

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Research shows that most K-5 teachers are typically required to complete only minimal coursework in science and mathematics, which constrains their knowledge, efficacy, and confidence for teaching STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) content. Additionally, elementary teachers, like much of the general public, have limited comprehension about the relationship between STEM concepts and engineering fields and the kind of work and societal contributions made by engineers. Yet, elementary school is a critical time in which students develop foundational understanding of STEM concepts, career options, and inquiry learning.

To address students' STEM needs and limited teacher preparation, the Idaho SySTEMic Solution …

African-American Girls And Scientific Argumentation: Lived Experiences, Intersecting Identities And Their Roles In Constructing And Evaluating Claims, Phyllis Haugabook Pennock

Dissertations

Scientific argumentation can be traced back to ancient times; yet has seen a recent upswing over the last decade in the area of science education. This is due to current national education standards that ascribe this practice as a way of promoting scientific literacy for all. Current literature reflects an evolution of scientific argumentation – accommodating emerging research that uses socio-scientific issues. National standards highlight the need to teach argumentation, yet also recognize the urgent demand for educational equity of all students.

The purpose of this research was to narrow the gap dividing argumentation studies from other science discourse research. …

Enhancing Ocean Literacy Using Real-Time Data, Lisa G. Adams, George Matsumoto

Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

Science Education Policy For Emergency, Conflict, And Post-Conflict: An Analysis Of Trends And Implications For The Science Education Program In Uganda, Betty Pacutho Udongo

Dissertations

This study analyzes the impact of armed conflicts on the development of education policy and particularly science education program in Uganda. Since independence from the British colonial rule, Uganda has experienced a series of armed conflicts, with the most devastating being the 21 years of conflict in Northern Uganda.

The research study was guided by the following questions: (1) What is the level of government funding towards improving science education program in Uganda? (2) Have recent initiatives, such as free Primary and Secondary education, compulsory science, and 75% sponsorship for science-based courses, had a measurable impact on the proportion of …

Education In The Environment: A Strategy For Continued Interagency Outdoor Education Programming: Fourth Quarter Progress Report With Annual Report: Period Ending May 31,2009, Margaret N. Rees

Reports (PLI Education)

Highlights of the university 's focused efforts during the past three months include the following:

• Twenty-four people from the Summer and Fall 2008 cohorts have successfully graduated from the Nevada State Certification in Environmental and Interpretation Program.
• Planning continues for the mobile exhibit program to support and deliver SNAP messages.
• Fifty people have participated in each of two SNAP Families & Nature events, and will participate in an educational field trip to the Spring Mountains on June 20, 2009
• Forever Earth was scheduled on 53 days involving 1985 individuals.
• Discover Mojave Outdoor World conducted 17 events for 329 participants.
• A …

Discussing Vocation As A Part Of A Senior Capstone Class, Maria Zack

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2009

Many of us in Christian higher education are seeking ways to help our students discern their own sense of call. At the 2007 ACMS meeting Greg Crow and I participated in a panel on vocation and published a related paper in the Journal of the ACMS. This current paper discusses what has been learned from incorporating some of our ideas into our department's senior capstone course. This has been very meaningful for both the students and the faculty involved.

Fire! Lessons Learned And Applied To Computer Systems, Kim P. Kihlstrom

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2009

A wildfire swept through Santa Barbara on November 13, 2008, burning 1940 acres and destroying 230 homes. Nine structures on the Westmont College campus were destroyed as well as fifteen faculty homes near campus. What insights can be drawn from this experience? We will examine some of the lessons that can be applied to the design of intrusion-tolerant computer systems.

Are Mathematical Entities Real?, Phillip E. Lestmann

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2009

This talk will introduce ontological questions related to mathematics. After surveying the views of Plato and Artistotle, other possible philosophical perspectives will be considered including realism, nominalism, conceptualism, and empiricism with their relative strengths and weaknesses. The discussion will conclude with a possible biblical foundation for mathematical ontology.

A Career Preparation Course For Students In Mathematics And Computer Science, Donna Pierce, Peter A. Tucker

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2009

As professors, we all want our students to succeed, and to be motivated to study. We all get questions from students that can be boiled down to, "What can I do with X degree?" Certainly, a quick answer is to point students to career websites, or to send them to the career services department on campus. However, we want to do better than that. We want students to learn how to investigate these future directions, and to have them think about their future more holistically--not just an effort to find a job. To that end, we have developed a course …

History Of Mathematics In The Service Of School Mathematics Education, Calvin Jongsma

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2009

This slide presentation outlines the author's use of history of mathematics in teaching a mathematics-content course to prospective middle school mathematics teachers. A pedagogical rationale for using history of mathematics is given, along with a case study illustrating its use for teaching the topic of ratio and proportion drawing upon the numerical and geometrical theories of such found in Euclid's Elements.

Galileo's Solution To Dante's Riddle, Andrew Simoson

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2009

In Dante’s Inferno, several riddles are posed regarding the relative sizes of ordinary men versus giants versus Lucifer—all of which Galileo solves in his first public lecture—which we review herein.

Sage: Math In Your Dorm Room, From Calculus To Research, Karl-Dieter Crisman

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2009

As computers have revolutionized math research in disciplines as disparate as number theory and bioinformatics, it is natural for us to introduce our students to technology in ways beyond mere homework-checking. However, most familiar programs are either not comprehensive enough to encompass all the math in our curriculum, or are very expensive and accessible only in a lab or with a student license. The open source software package Sage addresses all of these issues.

Sage is suitable for discovery and computation in introductory courses such as calculus or linear algebra, while also being ideal for use in upper-level courses or …

Can Critical Thinking Be Redeemed?, Jeremy Case

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2009

We often claim that mathematics develops critical thinking skills. Critical thinking has many different definitions, but problem solving, deduction, analyzing arguments, and identifying assumptions are all certainly a part of critical thinking. As the trend in higher education moves away from focusing exclusively on content towards assessment and learning outcomes, we can justify our endeavors since mathematics and critical thinking align themselves well.

However, when examining the ultimate purpose of critical thinking in higher education, we must take care. If there is no agreed upon content knowledge in our postmodern age, the focus of education falls elsewhere. How one thinks …

Exploring The Limits Of Computing Through Exhaustive Search, Jeffrey L. Lehman

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2009

Many computing problems can be solved by identifying all possible moves or combinations of events and then picking the best solution. Problems in this domain provide fertile ground for exploring problem representation, storage requirements, and computational complexity. The problems and solution approaches are easy to understand, yet quickly push the memory and storage limits of a personal computer. This paper describes insights from a preliminary investigating of two exhaustive search problems, the 15-puzzle and Rubik’s cube. The insights gained by looking at exhaustive search problems can be integrated into classroom discussions and projects.

Monoids For Math Majors, Brian D. Beasley

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2009

Inspired by an MAA PREP workshop on “The Art of Factorization in Multiplicative Structures”, this paper will treat the basics of congruence monoids and arithmetical congruence monoids with their potential for a Modern Algebra or capstone course.

Supplemental Vocabulary Acquisition In The Desymbol Logic Translator, Darren F. Provine, Nancy Lynn Tinkham

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2009

DeSymbol is a program that translates first-order predicate logic expressions into English. It is designed to help students practice when learning or reviewing symbolic logic: students begin by translating English sentences into symbolic logic notation, and then they can use DeSymbol to translate the logic back into English to check their work.

The newest version of DeSymbol adds the ability for the user to expand the system’s vocabulary, using a web interface. The user can enter new nouns, verbs, or adjectives, specifying each word’s part of speech, its singular and plural forms, and (for verbs) whether the verb takes an …

Professor Peacock's Symbolical Algebra: Glimpses Into The Life And Work Of A Mathematical Reformer, Richard Stout

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2009

In his 1859 obituary of George Peacock (Royal Society of London, 1859),the nineteenth century mathematician and Dean of Ely Cathedral, his friend and long-time colleague J. F. W. Herschel not only lists Peacock's accomplishments as an educator, a churchman, and a mathematician, but also describes a man who embodies warmth and wisdom, the kind of person you would enjoy knowing and having as a colleague. Writing about Peacock in the Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society, Augustus DeMorgan echoes these sentiments when he says that "Whenever a man of safe judgment was wanted, who united kindness and courtesy to a …

The Development Of Mathematical And Spiritual Maturity In The Undergraduate Mathematics Curriculum, Angela Hare

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2009

Colleges and universities that teach mathematics have a responsibility to develop in students an appreciation of the powerful tools they are studying in the mathematics curriculum. Beyond this fundamental responsibility, the Christian college or university has the richer task of equipping mathematics graduates to use their mathematical knowledge and skills to sharpen their spiritual insight, to serve others, and to promote justice and freedom in society. The growth in mathematical maturity that occurs during the undergraduate years is an asset that enables Christian students of mathematics to participate in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ through their discipline of study. …

Approximating Sums Of Infinite Series, Kara Garrison, Thomas E. Price

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2009

The Euler-Maclaurin summation formula is frequently used to efficiently estimate sums of infinite series of the form $\sum_{j=1}^{\infty}f(j)$. The purpose of this article is to describe a modification of this numerical technique designed to simplify and reduce the computational effort required to obtain an acceptable estimate of the sum. The modified formula is obtained by replacing $f\left( x\right) $ with an easily constructed polynomial like interpolating function $a\left( x\right) $ designed to simplify the calculation of the integral and derivatives associated with Euler-Maclaurin. This approach provides a more tractable algorithm which can be written as a matrix equation. Examples are …

Integrating Dynamic Software Into Geometry Courses At Middle School, High School, And College Levels: Ten Lesson Plan And Instruction Material Units Incorporating Geometer's Sketchpad Version 4.07, Jamie Blauw, Lauren Zylstra, Dave Klanderman

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2009

This paper explores the use of dynamic geometry software (Geometer's Sketchpad) in the teaching and learning of Geometry at the high school and college level. As part of an honors project, two of the authors created a series of lesson activities to address specific geometric concepts. Each lesson implements Geometer's Sketchpad to create an engaging student-centered learning environment.

A Vision For Acms, James Bradley

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2009

This paper applies McGrath's and Heller's approach to the consideration of mathematics. It assumes that mathematics is not self-interpreting, but that, looked at from a framework informed by the Christian scriptures, it can be seen as having significant meaning and value and a transcendent purpose. In particular, it presents a classical interpretation of mathematics broadly conceived, presents two approaches to providing warrant for such an interpretation, and explores some implications. It argues, by means of the example of the classical interpretation, that the relationship between mathematics and theology is a viable area of scholarly inquiry encompassing profound and fascinating questions. …

Arithmetic Sequences, Diophantine Equations And The Number Of The Beast, Bryan Dawson

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2009

Revelation 13:18 invites anyone with "understanding" to "calculate the number of the beast". This session reviews historical attempts using arithmetic sequences and gives conditions by which a name is "beastable" by those methods. Do these approaches make it reasonable to identify the beast based on such calculation alone?

A Quick Way To Find The Arc Length Between Between Two Points Of The Logarithmic Spiral, Peter Rothmaler

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2009

No abstract provided.

Algebra Investigator, Al Hibbard

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2009

No abstract provided.

About Furuta's Inequality And Aluthge Transform On Pseudo-Hilbert Spaces, Loredana Ciudariu

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2009

No abstract provided.

Paper Abstracts (2009), Association Of Christians In The Mathematical Sciences

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2009

Seventeenth Conference of the Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences