Mathematics Commons^™

Calculus Students’ Difficulties In Using Variables As Changing Quantities, Susan S. Gray, Barbara J. Loud, Carole Sokolowski

Mathematics Faculty Publications

The study of calculus requires an ability to understand algebraic variables as generalized numbers and as functionally-related quantities. These more advanced uses of variables are indicative of algebraic thinking as opposed to arithmetic thinking. This study reports on entering Calculus I students’ responses to a selection of test questions that required the use of variables in these advanced ways. On average, students’ success rates on these questions were less than 50%. An analysis of errors revealed students’ tendencies toward arithmetic thinking when they attempted to answer questions that required an ability to think of variables as changing quantities, a characteristic …

Promoting Undergraduate Research In Mathematics At The University Of Nebraska – Lincoln, Judy L. Walker, Glenn Ledder, Richard Rebarber, Gordon S. Woodward

Department of Mathematics: Faculty Publications

The Department of Mathematics at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln (UNL) has several programs which promote undergraduate research in a variety of ways. Two of these are summer programs which draw from a national applicant pool: The Nebraska REU in Applied Mathematics (Section 1) is a traditional NSF-funded REU site, and Nebraska IMMERSE (Section 2) offers a summer “bridge” program (with a research bent) for students about to start graduate school in mathematics. IMMERSE is a relatively new program, started in 2004 as part of the department’s Mentoring through Critical Transition Points (MCTP) grant from NSF. The MCTP grant …

Teaching Time Savers: Is Homework Grading On Your Nerves?, Lisette G. De Pillis, Michael E. Orrison Jr.

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

You have probably heard it said that we learn mathematics best when we do mathematics, or that mathematics is not a spectator sport. For most of our students, this means that their mathematics courses will involve a fair amount of homework. This homework is often used to evaluate individual student progress, but it can also be used, for example, as a catalyst for discussion, to emphasize a point made in class, and to identify common misunderstandings throughout the class as a whole. There is, however, the matter of grading homework.

An Augustinian Perspective On The Philosophy Of Mathematics, James Bradley

ACMS Journal 2007

From a Christian perspective, both modern and post-modern approaches to the philosophy of mathematics have significant shortcomings. This paper explores an alternative. It summarizes Augustine of Hippo’s views on the four classical themes of the philosophy of mathematics-the ontology of mathematical objects, their epistemology, the nature of truth in mathematics, and how we account for the effectiveness of mathematics in describing the natural world. It then traces what has happened to Augustine’s perspective in the roughly 1600 years since it was written concluding with a discussion of some spiritual and intellectual problems with the currently dominant secular perspective.

Playing Games To Build Understanding, Michele Carnahan, Bridgette Stevens

Faculty Work

I am fortunate. I teach from Investigations in Number, Data, and Space [TERC] (1996), a standards-based elementary mathematics curriculum. My evolution from teaching in a traditional teacher-centered approach to one that supports a student-centered community of learners has been a slow and gradual process during the past six years of teaching. Fortunately, through experience, professional development, and graduate level courses, I have come to appreciate the conceptual understanding students acquire from learning mathematics via a student-centered approach and how playing games is an effective instructional strategy for learning mathematics. As intended by the authors of Investigations and envisioned by the …

The Wright Message, 2007, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Mathematics.

The Wright Message

Inside this issue:

-- Dear Department Alumni and Friends
-- 2007 - 2008 Tenure or Tenure-Track Faculty
-- New Faces in the Mathematics Department
-- Faculty Notes
-- Alumni Survey Conducted
-- Actuarial Program Thrives
-- Board of Regents Collaborative Mathematics and Science Initiative
-- TEAM News
-- DoDEA/UNI Project
-- Online Course Development
-- Math Day at UNI
-- First Millar Scholarship Awarded
-- In Memory of Paul Trafton
-- Major Gifts to the Department

Bounds And Comparisons For Weighted Renewal-Type Integral Equations, Broderick O. Oluyede

Mathematical Sciences: Faculty Publications

In this note, inequalities and bounds for weighted renewal-type integral equations are presented. Some upper and lower bounds for the weighted renewal-type integral equations with monotone weight functions are derived. Some upper and lower bounds for the weighted renewal-type equations with monotone weight functions are derived. Bounds for the difference between two weighted renewal functions as well between the parent and weighted renewal functions are obtained in terms of the parent renewal reliability functions and their first and second moments. Relations for renewal-type integrals of the ruin probability are presented. Some inequalities, bounds and convergence results are also established.

Closure Under Transfinite Extensions, Edgar Enochs, Alina Iacob, Overtoun Jenda

Mathematical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The closure under extensions of a class of objects in an abelian category is often an important property of that class. Recently the closure of such classes under transfinite extensions (both direct and inverse) has begun to play an important role in several areas of mathematics, for example, in Quillen's theory of model categories and in the theory of cotorsion pairs. In this paper we prove that several important classes are closed under transfinite extensions.

On Energy And Expected Uncertainty Measures In Weighted Distributions, Broderick O. Oluyede, Mekki Terbeche

Mathematical Sciences: Faculty Publications

In this note, bounds and inequalities for the comparisons of weighted energy functions, entropy, and discrimination information measures and their unweighted counterparts are presented. Inequalities for weighted expected uncertainty, cross-entropy or discrimination information measures are also presented. A useful result on the convergence of the weighted kernel density informational energy estimates is given and some informational energy applications presented.

A Note On Relations For Reliability Measures In Zero-Adjusted Models, Broderick O. Oluyede, Mavis Pararai

Mathematical Sciences: Faculty Publications

In this note we examine and study relations in zero-adjusted models. Relations for reliability measures in the adjusted and unadjusted models are established and appropriate comparisons including the relative error are presented. The relative error is shown to be a decreasing function of the counts. Some inequalities and comparisons for weighted zero-adjusted models are established.

Proceedings Of The First Annual Meeting Of The Georgia Association Of Mathematics Teacher Educators Front Matter

Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators

Contents of 1st Annual GAMTE Proceedings Front Matter:

• Proceedings Committee
• Officers of GAMTE
• Purposes and Goals of GAMTE
• Table of Contents
• Abstracts of Papers

Preservice Teachers’ Mapping Structures Acting On Representational Quantities, Gunhan Caglayan

Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators

In this article, I write about my research on five preservice secondary teachers’ (PST) understanding and sense making of representational quantities associated with magnetic color cubes and tiles. Data came from individual interviews during which I asked PST problems guided by five main tasks: prime and composite numbers, summation of counting numbers, odd numbers, even numbers, and polynomial expressions in x and y. My work drew upon an analysis framework (Behr et. al, 1994) supported by a unit coordination construct (Steffe, 1988) associated with linear and areal quantities inherent in the nature of figures produced by these PST. Linear quantities …

The Mathematical Preparation Of Secondary School Teachers, Kelly W. Edenfield

Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators

In the summer of 2007, a group of doctoral students at the University of Georgia gathered to discuss the mathematical preparation of secondary teachers. The group used Mathematics for High School Teachers: An Advanced Perspective by Usiskin, Peressini, Marchisotto, and Stanley (2003) as the catalyst for the discussion. Participants agreed that future teachers need opportunities to examine high school and college mathematics differently from the way they had as students, with specific emphasis on connections, representations, and history. Features of this text that were highlighted in the discussions were the attention topics with commonly held misconceptions, the historical rationales and …

Using Technology To Design Teaching Modules In Mathematics And Science, Ollie I. Manley

Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators

Technology is changing the way in which mathematics and science are taught, and this radical transformation in teaching is causing teachers to take a closer look at how lessons are designed. In an effort to demonstrate how to design instructional modules using technology, this paper will include the following: 1)A review of the National Educational Technology Standards for teachers to establish a framework for the development of the teaching modules; 2)instructional designs and techniques with special emphasis on multiple intelligence and critical thinking skills; 3) strategies and techniques for infusing technology into a standard based curriculum; and 4) an analysis …

Assessing Understanding Of Multiplication Through Words, Pictures, And Numbers, Stephanie Z. Smith

Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators

The objective of this session is to engage mathematics teacher educators in a discussion of how to assess an understanding of the concept of multiplication as an operation and its relationships to other operations. The session will begin with a presentation of a previously published study assessing children’s understanding of multiplication as grouping and the relationship between multiplication and addition. The assessment asked a series of problems involving words, pictures, and numbers. The results of the study indicate that the types of problems asked were successful in providing evidence of children’s understanding of multiplication. The study also found that a …

Change And Relationships In Elementary Preservice Teachers’ Mathematics Pedagogical Beliefs, Teaching Efficacy Beliefs, And Content Knowledge, Susan L. Swars, Lynn C. Hart , Ed., Stephanie Z. Smith, Marvin E. Smith

Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators

This study investigated the mathematics beliefs and content knowledge of 103 elementary preservice teachers in a developmental teacher preparation program that included a two course mathematics methods sequence. Preservice teachers’ pedagogical beliefs became more cognitively-oriented during the teacher preparation program with these changes occurring during the two methods courses. Pedagogical beliefs remained stable during student teaching. The preservice teachers also significantly increased their personal efficacy for teaching mathematics throughout the program with these shifts occurring across both methods courses and into student teaching. Pedagogical beliefs and teaching efficacy beliefs were not related at the beginning of the program, but, in …

The Kennesaw State University Mathematics Methods Model, Angela L. Teachey

Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators

Kennesaw State University’s comprehensive, nine-credit-hour, methods course integrates general and mathematics-specific pedagogical training with a structured four-week field experience prior to student teaching. This course blends essential units on conceptual understanding of mathematics, lesson planning, assessment, classroom management, and diversity with mathematics-specific methods. All topics are aligned with National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards and Georgia Performance Standards. Throughout the course, students complete a variety of assignments that require them to practice the skills highlighted in class readings and discussions, and they adapt and generalize those skills during their field experiences. Students have numerous opportunities in class and in …

Teaching Time Savers: Some Advice On Giving Advice, Michael E. Orrison Jr.

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

There are always a lot of questions that need to be answered at the beginning of a course. When are office hours? What are the grading policies? How many exams will there be? Will late homework be accepted? We have all seen the answers to these sorts of questions form the bulk of a standard course syllabus, and most of us feel an obligation (and rightly so) to provide such information.

Teaching Time Savers: Style Points, Michael E. Orrison Jr.

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

When I began as an assistant professor, I had a pretty good sense of how much time it would take for me to prepare for each class. After a few conversations with my new colleagues, I even had a good sense of how much time I should devote to tasks like office hours and committee work. Somewhere in the middle of grading my first exam, though, it became painfully clear that I had underestimated the amount of time I would need to grade exams!

Math Anxiety: What It Is And How It Can Be Prevented By Elementary Classroom Teachers, Amy Christenson

Honors Capstones

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

Teaching Time Savers: A Recommendation For Recommendations, Michael E. Orrison Jr.

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

I admit it — I enjoy writing recommendation letters for my students. I like
learning about their hopes and dreams, where they have been and where they want to go. A recommendation letter is an opportunity to remind myself how much my students can grow while they are in college, and how much I have grown as an instructor, advisor, and mentor.

How Have Teachers Affected The Disinterest Towards Mathematics?, Amy Brown

Senior Honors Projects

In our school system today there is a collective disinterest and lack of enthusiasm towards mathematics as a whole. This apathy is prevalent as early as elementary school and continues through higher education. It is disheartening that so many students avoid mathematics because of their misconception that it is too difficult and has little value in their future. How well prepared are our teachers to deal with this? I began my research by looking at the past perceptions of mathematics and how the reform movement has changed this perspective. I also looked at the changing standards and how the Principles …

Matrices And The Game Of Chutes And Ladders, Katherine Jedlicka

Honors Capstones

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

Undergraduates' Use Of Mathematics Textbooks, Bret Benesh, Tim Boester, Aaron Weinberg, Eimilie Wiesner

Mathematics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Framework For Inclusive Teaching In Stem Disciplines, Lois Reddick, Wayne Jacobson, Angela Linse, Darryl Yong

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

A wide body of literature exists recounting the ways in which inclusive teaching practices and principles benefit students and positively impact learning, student retention, and professional development across disciplines. However, STEM faculty do not readily accept the traditional approach of examining course content from multiple perspectives as relevant to their course content or useful in their teaching. In this chapter, we propose a Framework for Inclusive Teaching in STEM Disciplines that reflects the contexts of teaching in these disciplines, and extends James Banks’ Five Dimensions of Multicultural Education to the distinct needs of STEM faculty in their classes. We also …

Communicating Applied Mathematics: Four Examples, Daniel E. Finkel, Christopher Kuster, Matthew Lasater, Rachel Levy, Jill P. Reese, Ilse C. F. Ipsen

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

Communicating Applied Mathematics is a writing- and speaking-intensive graduate course at North Carolina State University. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief description of the course objectives and the assignments. Parts A–D of of this article represent the class projects and illustrate the outcome of the course:

• The Evolution of an Optimization Test Problem: From Motivation to Implementation, by Daniel E. Finkel and Jill P. Reese

• Finding the Volume of a Powder from a Single Surface Height Measurement, by Christopher Kuster

• Finding Oscillations in Resonant Tunneling Diodes, by Matthew Lasater

• …

Some General Notions Of Stochastic Orderings For Weighted Reliability And Uncertainty Measures With Applications, Broderick O. Oluyede

Mathematical Sciences: Faculty Publications

In this note, stochastic comparisons of reliability measures and related functions are presented. Inequalities for uncertainty of a residual life distribution and certain modified cross-entropy or discrimination information measures under weighted models are established. Comparisons of the expected uncertainty about the remaining lifetime of a component for weighted conditional distributions and unweighted conditional distributions are presented.

Wallpaper Groups, Cassondra Fett

Honors Capstones

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

Change Bell Ringing And Mathematics: A High School Student Excursion Into Graph Theory And Group Theory, Kristi Carlson

Honors Theses

This unit was created as a way to introduce higher level mathematics concepts to advanced high school students. All five of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Process Standards are found in this unit. For most of the unit, students work within small groups

Looking Beyond The Curriculum In Jamaica, Jon T. Jacobsen, Michael E. Orrison Jr.

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

In August 2004, we had the opportunity to travel to Jamaica to lead a pilot workshop for Jamaican high school math teachers. The workshop focused on the importance of mathematical context in the teaching of mathematics. It was sponsored by the Gibraltar Institute, a Jamaica-based nongovernmental organization led by Trevor Campbell (Pomona College) and Reginald Nugent (Cal State Pomona), Jamaica’s College of Agriculture, Science and Education, and Harvey Mudd College.