Reports on the differences in two sections of a college course on differential equations. Results on a common examination showed that writing assignments substituted for traditional homework assignments did not improve test performance. However, survey results indicated that students felt the writing assignments, in lieu of additional homework,…

Describes the mechanics of group work in the college mathematics classroom specifically group formation, preliminary class work, class and group discourse, individual and group assignments, and impact on test taking. Includes examples from a first-semester calculus course. (JJK)

Describes several techniques that have been used in a variety of college mathematics classes to shift the classroom experience from instructor-centered to student-centered. Discusses specific applications of these techniques to remedial mathematics, precalculus, liberal arts mathematics, calculus, and geometry classroom settings. (40 references)…

Describes an interdisciplinary quantitative reasoning course that uses algebra to answer questions from science. Describes the development, philosophy, and structure of the course and demonstrates two of the projects developed for this course. Presents student reactions and attitudes towards the course. (Contains 11 references.) (Author/ASK)

A major cause of the difficulty undergraduate mathematics majors have with the transition from elementary to advanced mathematics courses is that advanced courses require students to understand how mathematics is created. Describes a course whose main purpose is to introduce students to the creative process in mathematics. The course consists of…

Describes a reading and writing course about the fourth dimension that involves readings selected from both mathematical and non-mathematical literature, frequent class discussion, several invited speakers from disciplines other than mathematics, and some hands-on and group activities. (Author/ASK)

Describes a house-buying active learning project designed to motivate students in lower level college mathematics courses. Discusses the mathematical content, implementation, evaluation, and benefits of the project. (Author/ASK)

Describes an algorithm for planning college-level mathematics lessons based on the identification and achievement of student learning objectives. Discusses the ways in which this algorithm can help novice instructors to include opportunities for active learning in their lessons. (Contains 50 references.) (Author/ASK)

Describes the specific courses in a sequence along with how the writing has been implemented in each course. Provides ideas for how to efficiently handle the additional paper load so students receive the necessary feedback while keeping the grading time reasonable. (Author/ASK)

Presents problems to find the integrals of logarithmic and inverse trigonometric functions early in the calculus sequence by using the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus and the concept of area, and without the use of integration by parts. (Author/ASK)

Describes an experiment using applications and projects to motivate students in college algebra. Provides a few illustrative examples of the applications/projects used and shares some student comments. (Author/ASK)

Describes the senior seminar in mathematics at Hood College which is a course in the history of mathematics. It is a student-led seminar with students gaining practice in oral presentation, preparing visual aids, and planning a class. (Author/MM)

Describes an activity designed to help students develop a good foundation from the beginning of the transition from multivariate calculus to linear algebra. (MM)

Describes a game in which students are rewarded for catching a certain number of mistakes made by their teacher in a semester. Discusses the larger underlying principles that are worth independent consideration. (Author/MM)