|
Fourth Annual Symposium Series on Excellence in Teaching Undergraduate Science and Mathematics: National and Chicago Perspectives
ABSTRACTS February 8 Plenary Talks
William Yslas Vélez, Professor of Mathematics, University of Arizona For the last ten or fifteen years I have been focusing a great deal of energy on increasing the number of minority mathematics majors in our department. In the late 1980’s we graduated perhaps one minority undergraduate mathematics major every two years. We now have 300 mathematics majors in the department, of whom about 50 are minority students. My efforts begin with minority students enrolled in our traditional three-semester calculus course. The department now allocates a small amount of funds to hire a student assistant to help me contact minority students enrolled in these courses. The student assistant sets up twenty-minute appointments. During this twenty-minute appointment I go over the student’s schedule, discuss career plans, talk about the importance of resumes and internships. And one more thing. If a student comes into my office enrolled in calculus and the student does not have a major declared, I make that student into a mathematics major on the spot! This can be shocking experience for a student. I would like to point out that my work with students has nothing to
do with the fact that they are minority students. I have tried to
convince our faculty that we should be as aggressive with all of our calculus
students. Also, these proactive approaches may be successful in encouraging
students to study mathematics whether or not they do indeed become majors.
Can Large Enrollment Courses Be Taught More Effectively?
Research demonstrated decades ago that lecturing is a highly ineffective teaching method. Yet large enrollment lecture courses remain the dominant means of teaching introductory undergraduate science courses. Conversion of a large enrollment introductory physics class from a passive to an active learning environment has been accomplished with relatively little effort and few resources. The research-informed teaching strategies introduced into the course design and the inquiry-oriented teaching style have resulted in substantial improvements in student learning. Data collected over several years consistently indicate dramatic improvements (factors of two) in students' understanding of fundamental physics concepts compared with control groups. Additional data indicate that the improved student learning can be attributed to the changes introduced.
February 8 Break-out Sessions Home Labs to Enhance Science Learning
Large enrollment courses provide little opportunity for faculty to interact with individual students, and homework problems with numerical answers are often performed mechanically by many students. In an effort to enhance student learning in an introductory physics course taken by students studying to be elementary teachers, Home Labs have been introduced. The experiments use simple materials, address fundamental physics concepts and are designed for students to actively confront common preconceptions. Experience with the take-home experiments over several years indicates that if begun as seat experiments in the classroom, the Home Labs enhance students' understanding of basic concepts and of the scientific process. Sample Home Lab activities will be performed and discussed. TextRev, A Window into How Students Use Textbook Resources
In the sciences, among other disciplines, publishers often provide a plethora of resources (e.g., study guides, solution manuals, CD-ROMs, and companion websites) to accompany textbooks. Instructors are rarely able to accurately assess whether these added features truly help student learning. TextRev is a web-based resource that offers instructors an easy way to survey their students at no charge. The data is analyzed and returned to the instructor along with national averages from peer institutions. A short presentation will be made of a recent survey of over 3200 students enrolled in General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry courses at nine colleges and universities. Questions to be addressed include: How extensively are textbook resources (e.g., study guides, solution manuals, CD-ROMs, and companion websites) being utilized by students? Do students report that their learning is enhanced by animations, simulations, real-world applications, etc.? What implications do these survey results have on the way we select and utilize textbook resources in our courses? In this session, we'll discuss the information about the self-reported average time that students spend in various course-related activities (reading the textbook, doing homework, rereading lecture notes, accessing course web-materials, etc.), and how this commitment of time correlates with a student's anticipated grade in the course. Participants will also learn the types of textbook features that students report are the most helpful in enhancing their learning. Each participant will learn how to use the free web-based TextRev survey instrument to gather information on how students are using textbook resources within his/her own classes. Participants will gather in small groups to discuss how the survey results can inform one's pedagogical practice. Participants will receive handouts containing an analysis of student
and instructor responses from the TextRev surveys conducted in chemistry.
A preprint of a relevant manuscript submitted to the Journal of Chemical
Education will be made freely available.
Does College Algebra Meet The Needs of Our Science Students
What mathematics do students really need to know in order to be successful
in science classes that require math as a prerequisite? Typically, College
Algebra is required for beginning Chemistry and Biology. Does it really
provide a foundation for the kinds of mathematical issues that arise in
those beginning science classes or is it primarily a gatekeeper? As we
look for alternatives to such traditional courses as College Algebra, what
is it that we want our students to know? Practitioners in various disciplines,
which require students to take math, may be able to get better results
through communication with the math instructors. In this session we will
examine some of the issues with the traditional College Algebra as well
as alternative courses. The discussion will continue with the perspective
of science instructors' accounts of math they expect their students to
know, what weaknesses they have noticed, and what math they end up having
to teach themselves to their students. Math and science teachers
are invited to share their experiences and insights.
Break-out sessions II
Mathematics is Real
My career as a mathematician has passed through many intellectual lands. I have created mathematics, used mathematics to solve problems dealing with communication systems, and taught mathematics. All of these activities have allowed for creative expression, and that is one of the joys of being a mathematician and an academic. Mathematics is indeed real, and profound mathematical ideas surround our daily lives. The bar codes on the goods that we purchase (simple check digit schemes), the music that we listen to on our compact disks (sophisticated error correcting codes), the purchase of goods over the internet (public key crypto-systems), and the weather forecasts that we see on television (massive parallel processing of data) are but a tiny fraction of the mathematical sophistication that awaits our children. If our children are to participate in the scientific workforce of the future, then mathematical training is all the more urgent for them. I have approached the teaching of mathematics with the same enthusiasm that I have for the creation of mathematics. A mathematician does not use one tool to solve a problem. She uses all of the tools that are at her disposal. I use this same approach when I teach our lower division courses. Computers, graphing calculators, strings and nails, ramps and balls, my own outlook on life are all part of the tools that I use to teach. One of the tools that I particularly enjoy using is the Texas Instruments-Calculator Based Laboratory (TI-CBL). I shall present various experiments that I have developed for calculus using the TI-CBL. In this presentation, the audience will have the opportunity of producing functions which are linear, quadratic and sinusoidal. The technology for accomplishing this will be the TI-CBL unit. The audience will carry out the experiments then create mathematical models for these experiments. Besides the TI-CBL unit, I will also present some software that has
been created to exemplify mathematical ideas.
Class-Room Demos Can Optimize Student Learning in Physics
Physics presents very specific difficulties for students to learn. Fear of Physics and lack of math preparation are proverbial. Often we find a total inability to visualize and abstract even simple Physics situations. Most students take Physics only because it is required. Very few students even have an idea what Physics really is. We instructors have to make Physics relevant, very interesting, even impressive for them. We have to make Physics stick! While there are routine methods, from homework all the way to collaborative learning, I found the proper use of in-class demos a most effective approach. Such demos, however, have to be in the most direct way related to the physics principle under discussion. Demos have to be much more than a show. They have to demonstrate the principle, they have to show the need for the principle, they have to raise questions. I found that demos that seem to show that a specific law is violated the most intriguing and instructive. They require the entire class to pay attention and work to find the explanation. Demos have to be simple and brief. Anything less is a mere waste of time. On the well known example of Newton's first law, I will show an entire series of simple demos that teach the law, explain its limitations, its applications and some that even test whether the students did comprehend the principle. Have You understood Newton-1? The message I want to convey to my students: Physics teaching and learning
is fun!
Geometry for Middle School Teachers
In the autumn, I organized a geometry course for middle school teachers
from the Chicago Public Schools. The course was used a number of principles,
some familiar and some that may be less well known or less accepted. For
example, it used Papert's concept of "constructionism" (i.e., it was constructivist
but with the added idea that learners are helped by producing and discussing
a public artifact) and it made conscious use of the van Hiele model. Students
were asked to construct objects, describe them, analyze their properties,
and then reason about relationships. In this breakout session, I will talk
about some of my experiences with the course, and then participants will
be asked to share some of their experiences. My hope is that we can all
leave the session with a better understanding of both the possibilities
and the pitfalls of teaching geometry to middle school teachers.
March 8 Plenary Talks Active Learning, Assessment, and Achievement: Transforming
the Classroom Environment Or
For reform to expand and survive, we must take dead aim at what is of most value to the instructor: student learning. That requires that we work a class at a time in the context of a larger vision—inquiry learning. To knit that vision in detail, we must interweave active learning, assessment, and achievement in every class as a seamless environment in which all students can learn and learn how to learn. Using specific examples from my introductory physics and astronomy classes, I will show you how to “walk the talk” successfully in your own practice. These include: an overt conceptual structure, cooperative learning teams, formative assessment that is also instructional, and summative assessment aim at improving the learning environment. This work was support in part by National Science Foundation grant DUE
Cultural Context and Sustained Change in Schools
An important component of school change is professional community. Each community has its own norms and way of work. Innovation must respect these. In this talk we will discuss how collaborative design partnerships between schools and universities can allow the richness of local context to support innovative curriculum design. We also describe how these partnerships are professionalizing and transformative for both school and university actors. March 8 Break-out Sessions Breakout Session I
Classroom Assessment: The Good and the Bad, and the Tested
Do you believe that assessment drives learning? If yes, are you
perplexed about how to get started with effective classroom assessment?
If yes, are you baffled by how to find reliable and robust techniques and
tools? If yes, then the Web-based Field-tested Learning Assessment
Guide (FLAG) can help you! Designed for science, mathematics, engineering,
and technology faculty, the FLAG, using a guidebook as a model, includes
a peer-reviewed selection of classroom assessment techniques (CATs) with
enough background information to employ specific assessment tools.
The CATs are especially designed for reformed courses, where traditional
assessments may not measure outcomes of value. A selection of sample
tools, validated in the field, is associated with each CAT. The FLAG’s
goal is to assist faculty to grow more reflective about student learning
outcomes. It provides guidance to get jump-started in classroom assessment.
I will explain the key features of the FLAG site, give hints for its use,
and familiarize you with examples of specific assessment techniques and
tools. This work has been supported in part by National Science Foundation
Grant REU #99-81155 at the University of New Mexico. The current
URL of the FLAG is http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/nise/cl1.
Defining Quantitative Literacy for College Students: Some Research
on Students’ Understanding of Percents
In our lifetimes, the use of quantitative information has dramatically increased in our workday worlds, in public discourse, and even in our personal lives, and this change is placing new demands of enhanced quantitative literacy on all of us. However, a special responsibility rests on college instructors as we prepare future teachers, scientists, and leaders. Even with our college math and science requirements, a significant proportion of college graduates lacks the numeracy skills to judge the reasonableness of calculations, to interpret graphs correctly, and to evaluate quantitative arguments. College faculty around the nation are beginning to grapple with these issues and making first steps at addressing the new needs. An important step is to conduct research in college students’ understanding of fundamental concepts related to quantitative literacy. One such fundamental topic is percents, which is surprisingly subtle and conceptually rich. In the context of DePaul University’s Quantitative Reasoning course, we undertook a formal study of college students’ understanding of percents in real contexts that arise at work, in the media, and in entry-level college courses. In this investigation, we gathered both qualitative and quantitative data and made a first attempt at putting undergraduate student learning of percents into a theoretical cognitive framework. In the first half of this session we will present some of the results
of our research study. This study will then serve as a springboard
for the participants to discuss what constitutes quantitative literacy
at the college level and to discuss efforts at various institutions that
prepare students to be functionally numerate citizens.
Certificate Program in Community College Learning and Teaching
The co-presenters will engage the participants in a discussion of their
experiences interfacing with new college faculty. They will next
share information on the Certificate Program in Community College Learning
and Teaching at Loyola University. Supported by a Fund for the Improvement
of Postsecondary Education grant, Loyola's program is one of the first
of its kind nationally and the only such program in the Chicago area.
With a distinctive focus on the community college context and an innovative
practice-based curriculum, Loyola's program works with interested individuals
to help develop them into "learning-centered" faculty.
Breakout Session II
Who should know what when? Binomial Theorem
Mercedes McGowen developed a collection of activities linking counting
the number of towers made with two colors of blocks with the binomial theorem.
She has used these very successfully at Harper to enhance the understanding
and shift the mathematical weltshanung of incoming future teachers.
Baldwin has used these same materials with more advanced students (MST)
at UIC. We will present some of the activities and student responses
then discuss with the participants in the session some of the mathematical
and pedagogical issues that activities bring up. What does it mean
to 'know' how to count towers? Does the binomial theorem allow you
count or does counting validate the binomial theorem? Does true for
5 mean true for all n? What should be the differences in our expectations
for freshman versus graduates of our programs on these problems?
In general, what do the reactions to these problems by freshman and by
practicing teachers tell us about profound understanding of fundamental
mathematics?
On Becoming a Reform-oriented Mathematics Teacher: A senior mathematics
professor's reflection both on his teaching process and students' process
of learning
The current reform movement in mathematics education supports teachers
of mathematics at any level to be more aware of the importance of understanding
the process of teaching and learning as a closely related system and to
view their own classroom as a venue for improving mathematics teaching
and learning. In this breakout session, we relate the story of how
Lewis, who has 39 years experience in teaching mathematics, undertook to
implement reform-oriented teaching practice in his secondary mathematics
education course as a participant in the faculty development program of
the UIC-CC CETP. Jeon, a mathematics educator and an evaluator in
the project, observed Lewis during the semester to investigate the process
whereby an experienced teacher changes his practice. In fact, the
class turned out to be an excellent model for a reform-oriented mathematics
classroom. Many issues arise in this context: the meaning of reform
to a mathematics teacher, the role of mathematical activities in the teaching
process, students' connections to other mathematical concepts, qualitative
understanding vs. formal definitions in teaching mathematics, grading and
evaluation in a reform-oriented classroom, differences in the teacher's
thinking process and students' thinking process, students' resistance to
change, importance of listening to students, the teacher's struggles after
the course, and his plan for next year. Participants will have the
opportunity to consider the experience that is related and to contribute
their own observations.
The "transition" to pure mathematics: some personal experiences
teaching new math majors
For a number of years, UIC has offered a course intended to help new or prospective math majors, and other undergraduates with an interest in mathematics, make the leap from calculus courses in which the emphasis is on learning a collection of rules for solving problems to courses in which mathematics is presented as a coherent body of knowledge, and the emphasis is on proofs and conceptual understanding. When the idea for a course of this kind was first brought up, I came up with a proposal based on the point of view that the best way to get students used to the idea of what pure mathematics is like would be to show them some samples of pure mathematics, and get them involved in recreating some. Specifically, I had envisaged a full-year course in which the first half would be devoted to getting the students used to the idea of a rigorous proof by proving what they have previously been taught to regard as "obvious" properties of the integers, and then going on in the second half to proving some amazing facts in number theory by applying the same standards of rigorous proof. As it has turned out that the official "transition" course is only one
semester, I have had to settle for giving a version of the course that
is closer to the first half of the course that I had originally imagined;
but a couple of times I have had the opportunity to give a version of the
second half in the form of an "undergraduate seminar" or "special topics
course." Both kinds of courses have given me a new sense of what
can go on when undergraduates get used to the idea of pure mathematics.
In my presentation I will try to get some of this sense across by telling
a few stories.
Using Scientific Visualization to Support Ambitious Work in Urban
High Schools
Abstract not available at this time.
Workshop Physics as a Mode of Activity Based Teaching: Reflections
on Students Learning and Learning Styles
In this talk I will describe the impact of assessments of student learning
on the development of Workshop Physics-—a curriculum in which lectures
are replaced by student predictions, observations, mathematical modeling
and experiments. After presenting data from case studies on conceptual
learning and problem solving, I will reflect on how student’s views on
the nature of science and their learning styles influence their ability
to benefit from activity based teaching methods in physics.
Redefining and Transforming College Algebra into a Useful Course
Why do we teach the topics we do in College Algebra, or even in High School Algebra II? How are these topics used in courses, especially those outside mathematics, for which College Algebra is a prerequisite? At Oklahoma State we interviewed department heads and faculty members teaching such courses to find out what mathematics they used in their classes and what they thought was taught in College Algebra. Their answers were shocking! The skills they sought in their students were often not even part of the College Algebra course; moreover their students seemed to have no ability to apply more basic mathematical concepts to real problems. At Oklahoma State we designed a new Math Modeling course as a substitute for College Algebra for most students. This course covers fewer topics in greater depth, uses rates of change as a pervasive (and satisfying!) theme, treats real problems, does not shy away from data, and requires a different way to teach and learn. Using mathematical models and a little technology (graphics calculators), students are able to tackle a wide array of interesting real-world problems. They are able to check their answers against their own intuition, common sense, and experience. This new approach to, or substitute for, College Algebra has been gratifyingly
successful. Even students demoralized from past failures have succeeded
with this course. Attitudinal surveys of our students show a more
positive attitude toward mathematics and its utility, particularly among
non-traditional students, preservice elementary teachers, and women.
April 29 Break-out Sessions Breakout Session I Negative Reactions to Reform Efforts in Science Classes:
Why we should expect them and how we might respond
In this session the facilitator will share some of her experiences with
both positive and negative attitudes of students who take Workshop Physics
courses. She will draw some connections between these reactions and
theories of intellectual development (W. Perry), multiple intelligence
(H. Gardiner), and personality (Myers-Briggs). This will provide a basis
for a group discussion on strategies for dealing with the range of student
reactions instructors may encounter when reforming science courses.
Preservice Teachers' Conceptions of Number Theory: Distinguishing
Between Success and Understanding
Many mathematics educators would argue that in order to improve the
teaching of elementary school mathematics, it is imperative to begin by
improving the mathematical knowledge of teachers. In Knowing and
Teaching Elementary Mathematics, Liping Ma provides evidence that what
distinguishes the more effective elementary school teachers from those
who are less effective is the degree to which they have a "profound understanding
of fundamental mathematics (PUFM)." This kind of conceptual understanding
connotes both a depth and breadth of understanding that is absent from
strictly procedural understanding. Since success with mathematics
can occur in the absence of conceptual understanding, future teachers must
experience classroom situations in which the reasons underlying their correct
use of a mathematical procedure are revealed, challenged, and enhanced.
MathLab
MathLab is a series of extra-classroom activities that combine the rigors of mathematics with the experimental approach of science. In these activities students
In MathLab activities, students work in groups to solve a problem, and present their findings in an organized report that resembles a science lab write-up. As a result, the entire MathLab experience creates a laboratory experiences for a subject that has been traditionally taught far away from the lab. Participants in the MathLab break-out session will actually perform
a number of the activities and receive a brief manual detailing the pedagogy
of MathLab and a least 10 different activities. After a brief introduction
and demonstration, the presenters will facilitate participation in MathLab
activities.
Breakout Session II Math laboratory exercises with pizzazz!
It’s not easy to find great hands-on laboratory exercises to illustrate
mathematics. Shamelessly borrowing from some creative colleagues
at Oklahoma State, we’ll explore mathematical models of population growth
using moldy bread and M&Ms (not together!!). In additional, we’ll
review good designs for laboratory exercises involving personal statistics
(height/weight, for example) and those involving Calculator-Based Laboratory
units with various probes.
Curriculum Project of the Mathematical Association of America
Committee on the Undergraduate Program in Mathematics
The MAA Committee on the Undergraduate Program in Mathematics (CUPM) periodically reviews its curriculum recommendations for college and university departments with a view to revising them as needed to fit new circumstances. The development of the CUPM Curriculum Guide, scheduled to appear in fall 2003, has been influenced by feedback on draft recommendations collected from focus groups held at national meetings, by the Curriculum Foundations Project, a series of workshops held around the country with members of client disciplines, and by MAA reports on quantitative literacy, "the first college mathematics course," and the mathematical preparation of teachers. The Guide will be the first to address the needs of non-majors as well as majors. Draft CUPM recommendations and reports from the Curriculum Foundation Workshops are available at http://www.maa.org/news/cupm.html In its work of the past few months, the CUPM writing group (of which
I am a member) has refined and extended what is currently mounted on the
MAA website. I will describe the current state of the Guide and invite
discussion about it from the session participants. Comments and suggestions
will be forwarded to the committee to advance the further development of
the Guide.
Faculty Journeys: Studying Change in College Science Teaching
and Learning
In this session, first we will share findings of a recent study of faculty
efforts to reform their teaching in science classrooms. Then
we will engage in discussion with audience members about their own plans
for and experiences with reforming their teaching. We believe that
it is critical to understand the nature and process of reforming college
teaching practices so that such understanding can be used as a step-stone
for future reform efforts.
We report on the journeys that 16 urban science faculty took to reform their teaching practices in ways consistent with the current reform movement. We discuss how changing one's classroom teaching is a unique journey that does not happen according to a predetermined itinerary. Yet by looking at some of the patterns and shared themes in the journeys of the faculty in our study, we move toward providing a rough map that can help other faculty with their own teaching journeys. Through our analyses, we identify problems that faculty members perceived in their teaching practice. We also identify solutions that they chose to work on in order to overcome those problems. In addition, we share case studies of several faculty journeys. We also address issues like the need for faculty to assess the impact of their practice and how students are active agents in the process of classroom reform. We then facilitate audience discussion of our findings and their reflection
on their own plans for and experiences with improving their teaching practices.
|