An algebra class at Navajo Community College (Shiprock, New Mexico) uses traditional algebra topics to study real-life situations, focuses on environmental issues, encourages collaborative learning, uses modern technology, and promotes development of critical thinking and decision-making skills. Students follow principles of Dine educational…

Two cases are described in which alternative assessments have been successfully employed in college mathematics. Case 1 describes an alternative assessment applied in a class of 10 elementary school teachers studying Euclidean geometry as required by state teacher-certification requirements. One student asserted that he already had an adequate…

In 1989, the Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA)/Minority Engineering Program (MEP) was initiated at American River College. The MESA/MEP program recruits Black, Hispanic, and Native American students and provides assistance, encouragement, and enrichment programs to help them succeed in the fields of mathematics, engineering,…

The Mathematical Sciences Education Board (MSEB) is one of the nine major units of the National Research Council (NRC). It was established to provide a continuing national overview and assessment capability for mathematics education. The NRC's special concern with the quality of mathematics education is based on two considerations: mathematics is…

Proceedings of the North Country Workshop on Science, Technology, and the Undergraduate Curriculum are presented. The Sloan Foundation's call for reform of the liberal arts and coverage of mathematics, science, and technology is noted in welcoming remarks by State University of New York, Potsdam, President Humphrey Tonkin. Stephen H. Cutcliffe…

Academic programs, recruitment, and student retention among minority students in the environmental and natural resource professions are examined. Major sections include: (1) environmental and resource studies at minority colleges (black and Native American institutions, institutions with significant Hispanic enrollment, and basic curricula); (2)…

The Math Center described in this report operates at Pima Community College to provide individualized, self-paced instruction as an alternative to lecture courses. The report first describes the Center's staff organization and then examines seven courses offered through the Center on remedial, vocational, and transfer levels. Each of these courses…

Reports on a seminar conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology which was designed to help teachers develop their understanding of learning and teaching arithmetic. Describes some of the sessions and the activities and includes some of the dialogue exchanged within the group during the sessions. (TW)

Suggests an approach to understanding the integrals associated with teaching electricity and magnetism at the college level. Categorizes integrals that are commonly used, explains the significance of paired usage and presents a method for introducing concepts. Provides a review of symbols and for integrals in college textbooks. (CW)

This article describes how the method of reducing the scale of a graph can be used to illustrate many theorems in geometry concerning angle size. Four examples are presented. A computer program is provided to illustrate how such rescaling of figures can be implemented in LOGO. (Author/YP)

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 intermediate level, college geometry course that is designated as both writing and speaking intensive. Suggests methods that utilize writing and speaking activities to enhance student learning, and discusses student reactions to the course. (nine references) (JJK)

Described is a weekly computer algebra laboratory course for Calculus I students during the 10-week spring semester, 1990, at Trinity University. Advice on the establishment and management of this type of laboratory including descriptions of student participation trends and student reactions is presented. (JJK)

Describes the results of a study that tracked college algebra students who had previously completed an Academic Assistance mathematics course that facilitated collaborative learning. Only 53% of all students who enrolled in college algebra in fall 1994 earned grades of C or higher, but 95% of students who had previously participated in the…

Ontario's elementary and secondary school mathematics curriculum was implemented in Fall 2000 having been revised according to the key principles of the social-constructivist view of mathematics education. This change in pedagogy has implications for teaching and learning mathematics, the use of technology and the emphasis in problem-solving. In…