Financial literacy is ideally suited to be integrated into mathematics courses and taught in an interdisciplinary manner. Students learn best and are motivated when tackling real-world meaningful questions. This article shares how elementary mathematics was applied to better understand the debate about raising the minimum wage and the United…

In this paper we present a short tutorial on creating mini-videos using two platforms--PCs and tablets such as iPads--and software packages that work with these devices. Specifically, we describe the step-by-step process of creating and editing videos using a Wacom Intuos pen-tablet plus Camtasia software on a PC platform and using the software…

Higher education often operates under old rules -- rules that continue despite an increasingly diverse student population and improved understanding of human behavior and choice. Under these old rules, fewer than half of students graduate on time, if at all, and troubling equity gaps exist based on income, race, and ethnicity. It is time for new…

Summarizes the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' Curriculum and Evaluation Standards document and suggests 10 implications for college mathematics. (MKR)

Discusses the necessary characteristics of an introductory college-mathematics curriculum for improving mathematics education at the college level. (ASK)

This paper discusses the problems associated with mathematics anxiety, and provides detailed information on the history and structure of the Mathematics Anxiety Program at the University of Minnesota. The seven parts concern: (1) the Continuing Education for Women Program, (2) the development of the Math Anxiety Program, (3) the symptoms of…

Mathematical observations are made about some continuous curves, called transitions, encountered in well-known experiences. The transition parabola, the transition spiral, and the sidestep maneuver are presented. (MNS)

A possible method of derivation of prescriptions for solving problems, found in Babylonian cuneiform texts, is presented. It is a kind of "geometric algebra" based mainly on one figure and the manipulation of or within various areas and segments. (MNS)

Assessment not only places value, it also identifies which elements to value. In this era of accountability, the constituents of educational assessment are not just students, faculty, and administrators, but also parents, legislators, journalists, and the public. For these broader audiences, simple numerical indicators of student performance take…

The "word problem" is stated for a given collection. Facts regarding Dehn's Algorithm, definition of Thue systems, a rewriting system, lemmas and corollaries are provided. The situation is examined where the monoid presented by a finite Thue system is a group. (DC)

Details are provided of a program on actuarial training developed at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Binghamton through the Department of Mathematical Sciences. An outline of its operation, including a few statistics on students in the program, is included. (MP)

Presented is a study that underscores the extent to which students do not understand the use or meaning of letters in equations. (MP)

Provides advice for academic leaders in the early stages of considering making a major investment in facilities that support learning, teaching, and research in mathematics, technology, and the various fields of science and engineering. Addresses the institutional plan; building, program, and campus and environs analysis; description of needs;…

This article traces some of the events leading up to the call for reform, differing aspects of the suggested reform, steps taken, and possible future directions for the reform of calculus instruction. (CW)

A college course designed to teach students about the mathematics of symmetry using pieces of wallpaper and cloth designs is presented. Mathematical structures and the symmetry of graphic designs provide the starting point for instruction. (MP)