Describes a project involving a short car trip in which students experience an early opportunity to work in teams, think about mathematics, gather and analyze speed and distance data, and produce a report on their findings. Provides a typical-authored solution. (Author/ASK)

Presents an experiment to design a precalculus topic that would help prepare students for limits in differential calculus. Emphasizes the topic to enhance the interpretation of graphs and to be applicable in both technology-based and traditional precalculus courses. Uses graphing calculators to help students observe the results of their…

Presents activities that engage students and promote discussion emphasizing the history of mathematics, diversity, and multiculturalism. Six activities included are Crossword Puzzle, Date of Event, Quotes Matching, Famous Mathematical Expressions, Calendar Scramble, and Map Puzzle. Also lists related World Wide Web sites. Contains 15 references.…

Argues that although differential equations are billed as applied mathematics, there is rarely any hands-on experience incorporated into the course. Presents a laboratory project that requires students to obtain data from a physics lab and use that data to compute the coefficients of the second order differential equation, which mathematically…

Describes a nine-hour, three-sequence mathematics course in the elementary teacher certification program at Texas Tech University. Emphasizes the development, philosophy, design, and implementation of the sequence. Presents excerpts from the activities and group exercises outlined for the course. Contains 15 references. (Author/ASK)

Discusses the properties of the equation y"+ay=0, a basic equation in differential equations classes which is well known to have periodic solutions. Explores similar but more complicated equations using a graphing calculator to ask questions about the nature of the solutions and to generate conjectures from examples. Lists some equations and…

Presents the findings of a study on the learning experiences of undergraduates enrolled in a writing-intensive algebra course. The study revealed that writing activities are successful in terms of facilitating student comprehension of mathematical content. The use of words allows student writers to gain ownership of the algebraic content. (DDR)

Refutes the assumption that large classes must be impersonal, characterized by lecture style, and presented in a theorem-proof-example format. Discusses successful strategies for space use, classroom management, and collecting student feedback. (DDR)

Describes a mathematics course that involves the study of growth patterns combined with an analysis of the symmetry of patterns. Briefly outline the curriculum and and discusses key features of the course, such as use of hands-on models, video, slides, and speakers from other disciplines. Contains 29 references. (DDR)

Illustrates the qualitative nature of the differences between reform courses and traditional courses based on the types of student questions and comments generated in reform classes ranging from college algebra to multivariable calculus. (AIM)

Describes the preparation for the implementation of a Mathematica-based calculus curriculum and the curriculum selection process at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Contains a summary of the problems encountered and the resulting modifications. Evaluation of the curriculum implementation, some reasons for its demise, and suggested future…

Presents an alternative to using a single-class-period test to assess a college student's knowledge in the mathematics area. Evaluation of student mathematical knowledge and understanding of concepts is improved when students are given opportunities to design problems and solutions, applying classroom-acquired knowledge to new situations. Such…

Discusses one way of addressing the difficulty of mastering a large number of concepts through the use of ConcepTests; that is, multiple choice questions given in a lecture that test understanding as opposed to calculation. Investigates various types of ConcepTests and the material they can cover. (Author/KHR)

Describes teaching a course on the history of mathematics intended for prospective teachers. Presents a brief overview of the course created, difficulties encountered, and some solutions discovered. (Author/KHR)

Describes a two-semester numerical methods course that serves as a research experience for undergraduate students without requiring external funding or the modification of current curriculum. Uses an engineering problem to introduce students to constrained optimization via a variation of the traditional isoperimetric problem of finding the curve…