This paper describes student response, as indicated by an anonymous questionnaire, given by the author to her remedial algebra students at a community college that is part of a large East Coast open-admissions university. The course in question is aimed at the university-wide exit mathematics test necessary to graduation and college-level…

We will first recall useful formulas in integration that simplify the calculation of certain definite integrals with the quadratic function. A main formula relies only on the coefficients of the function. We will then explore a geometric proof of one of these formulas. Finally, we will extend the formulas to more general cases. (Contains 3…

The purpose of this study was to determine if course format significantly impacted student learning and course completion rates in an introductory statistics course taught at Harford Community College. In addition to the traditional lecture format, the College offers an online, and a hybrid (blend of traditional and online) version of this class.…

One of the often overlooked aspects of modern statistics is the analysis of time series data. Modern introductory statistics courses tend to rush to probabilistic applications involving risk and confidence. Rarely does the first level course linger on such useful and fascinating topics as time series decomposition, with its practical applications…

In a prior issue of "MathAMATYC Educator," we reported on our efforts to find out what community college developmental mathematics students understand about mathematics (Stigler, Givvin, & Thompson, 2010). Our work painted a distressing picture of students' mathematical knowledge. No matter what kind of mathematical question we asked, students…

Basic brain function is not a mystery. Given that neuroscientists understand its basic functioning processes, one wonders what their research suggests to teachers of developmental algebra. What if we knew how to teach so as to improve understanding of the algebra taught to developmental algebra students? What if we knew how the brain processes…

Two-year colleges have an important role in the educational and economic advancement of the United States, particularly during the current economic crisis. They offer access to higher education for economically and/or educationally impoverished students, as well as for those who have simply returned for further study. Two-year colleges provide…

While "thinking outside the box" can be an over-used phase at times, in the world of grants it can provide the genesis of ideas. The "box" is the world of academia accepted by most educators, while "thinking outside" is the process that leads to grant ideas. In the grant world, "thinking outside the box" is a process of doing something that has…

The purpose of this article is to share the stories of an Introductory Statistics service-learning project in which students from both New Jersey and Michigan design and conduct phone surveys that lead to publication in local newspapers; to discuss the pedagogical benefits and challenges of the project; and to provide information for those who…

In Part Three, the author reviews the basic ideas presented in Parts One and Two while arguing why the traditional equation-solving developmental algebra curricula is not a good choice for implementing neural response strategies presented in the first two parts. He continues by showing that the developmental algebra student audience is simply…

A portion of all students in introductory or developmental undergraduate mathematics courses find themselves at an unfortunate tipping point: the border between passing and failing. These high-stakes courses often come with high enrollments, and a recurring problem: high failure rates. The measure of success used at the author's institution, the…

Augustus De Morgan (1806-1871) was a significant Victorian Mathematician who made contributions to mathematics history, mathematical recreations, mathematical logic, calculus, and probability and statistics. He was an inspiring mathematics professor who influenced many of his students to join the profession. One of De Morgan's significant books…

From 2006 to 2008, while taking courses at Georgia Perimeter College (GPC), Joel Toussaint worked two jobs, one was at night. Now, he has graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology majoring in mechanical engineering, and he has been admitted to graduate school in mechanical engineer there. His plan for the future is to get his Ph. D. in…

In recent years, mathematical and quantitative arguments have become prominent in the media as well as in politics, business, and science conversations. This has led to multiple calls for mathematics to be more accessible and meaningful to a wider range of the population (AMATYC, 2006; Cerrito, 1996; Cheney, 1989; Cohen, 1982; College Board, 1983;…

In 2005 the Lumina Foundation awarded the Alamo Community College District (ACCD), including Palo Alto College, a grant to explore institutional effectiveness with a primary focus on serving student groups that traditionally have faced significant barriers to success. As a result of the award, ACCD staffed an umbrella initiative called "Achieving…