Presented is a way to provide students with a review and an appreciation of the versatility of pointers in data structures by improvising with binary trees. Examples are described using the Pascal programing language. (KR)

Durer's method for drawing an ellipse is used to explain why some people think an ellipse is egg shaped and to show how this method can be used to derive the Cartesian form of the ellipse. Historical background and suggestions for further reading are included. (KR)

Described is a way that elemental mathematics can be applied to explain an astronomical phenomenon. The fact that the extreme of sunrise and sunset do not occur on the shortest or longest days of the year is analyzed using graphs and elementary calculus. (KR)

Working in groups on weekly themes, students discover calculus concepts through assigned readings and written reports. Provides an outline of the course content for two courses and how the courses are organized. An appendix contains the complete text of two themes on curve sketching and applications of the definite integral. (MDH)

Described are the inexpensive construction and the suggested classroom applications of three different demonstration devices, as alternatives to the use of computer graphics, for displaying the conic sections. These devices are the simplified string model, the stroboscopic cone generator, and the capillary hyperbola. (JJK)

Students sometimes have difficulty in mathematics because they solve problems mechanically, without understanding the ideas represented by their equations. This brief note provides mathematics instructors with ideas for rectifying this fundamental flaw in students' paradigm of problem solving. (Contains 1 footnote.)

The nine articles in this collection were selected because they represent concerns central to computer science, emphasize topics of particular interest to mathematicians, and underscore the wide range of areas deeply and continually affected by computer science. The contents consist of: "Introduction" (S. V. Pollack), "The…

Technological advances during the past few decades have revolutionized many complex systems that influence human activity. As the rate of technological progress accelerates, these systems will become more complex, and new ones will evolve. Citizens in a technological society need to be able to make intelligent choices about how technology will…

This study investigated the effects of two modes of instruction; the experiencing mathematics instructional method, and the direct instruction expository method, and two levels of mathematics anxiety, high and low, on mathematics achievement. The final sample consisted of 160 students enrolled in a remedial arithmetic course in a four-year college…

To gather information for its response to the issue whether to allow the use of hand-held calculators on standardized mathematics tests, the staff at Educational Testing Service (ETS), under the sponsorship of the College Board, developed a questionnaire to poll teachers of college-level mathematics about calculator and microcomputer use in…

Mathematics software can be a great aid in understanding difficult mathematics concepts at all levels. This paper presents nine exercises on calculus concepts by using different software used in mathematics education. Each exercise includes instruction on how to use software in order to highlight a specific concept in mathematics. This paper also…

A critical curriculum promoting mathematical literacy can be effective in involving more people of color in mathematics and science fields. A program that conveys the relevance of mathematics and statistical knowledge can be politically and socially empowering. Describes how ethnomathematics challenges the Eurocentric dichotomy between practical…

Reports a project that incorporated mathematical modeling into a college course. Reports evaluation of the course in terms of criteria derived from the stated aims: modeling performance, modeling framework, pedagogy assessment, and personal growth. Included are two sample problems. (YP)

Reviewed are two computer software packages for Macintosh microcomputers including "Phase Portraits," an exploratory graphics tool for studying first-order planar systems; and "MacMath," a set of programs for exploring differential equations, linear algebra, and other mathematical topics. Features, ease of use, cost, availability, and hardware…

Reviews six research articles involving the use of computers for mathematics instruction: (1) geometry skills; (2) calculus; (3) interactive videodisc in pre-calculus; (4) model for integrating computers in classroom; (5) computerized tutoring in applied algebra; and (6) software for enhancing problem-solving skills. (YP)