In 1984, the Ford Foundation initiated the Urban Mathematics Collaborative (UMC) project to contribute to the improvement of mathematics education in inner-city schools, and more generally, to enhance the professional life of teachers. By 1986, the Ford Foundation had funded collaboratives in 11 urban areas. This document describes the overall UMC…

Discusses some of the difficulties encountered by adult learners in mathematics courses required for re-entry into college. Describes the restructuring of such a course. Emphasizes student inquiry and a teaching/learning model. Discusses the roles of staff and students. (TW)

Discusses a course taken at the University of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana) by undergraduates majoring in elementary education. The course attempts to combine theory and practice, emphasizing teaching methods which stress that learners make use of "mental representations" in assembling a working understanding of various components of their…

Discusses several ways in which the Logo programming language can be used to experiment with and learn about matrices. Describes procedures for developing a Logo tool to establish a matrix representation, as well as others for adding, subtracting, and transposing. (TW)

This article illustrates that mathematical theory can be incorporated into the process to solve differential equations by a computer algebra system, muMATH. After an introduction to functions of muMATH, several short programs for enhancing the capabilities of the system are discussed. Listed are six references. (YP)

Describes the collegewide academic program at Maharishi International University that incorporates speaking and writing into the undergraduate curriculum. The impact of the key features of this successful program upon the mathematics curriculum are discussed in detail. (JJK)

Many students doubt that statistical distributions are of practical value. Simulation makes it possible for students to tackle challenging, understandable projects that illustrate how distributions can be used to answer "what-if" questions of the type often posed by analysts. Course materials that have been developed over two years of classroom…

When one encounters a problem that one has no adequate way of representing, a new mental model for the problem may have to be found. When a possible model is found, an important next step is to evaluate the validity of the model. In this document, examples of subjects finding and evaluating mental models used as problem representations are…

The implementation of the program used in this study, TPIXIE, was predicated on the assumption that acquiring the skill to diagnose student errors was important for teacher trainees. The TPIXIE system (part of the PIXIE family of intelligent tutoring systems) was designed to present users with a series of task-student-answer pairs (where the…

The assessment and placement system used in the Mathematics Learning Center of the New World Center campus of Miami-Dade Community College uses two test inventories: (1) a multiple choice mathematics test geared to the course which the student wants to pursue; and (2) the Canfield-Lafferty Learning Styles Inventory designed to determine an…

Provides a summary of the report of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (ICMI) held March 25-30, 1985, in Strasbourg, France. Deals with the effect of computers on mathematics, the impact of computers on the mathematics curriculum, and computers as an aid for learning mathematics. (TW)

Provides several examples of the use of Logo in working with fractions and manipulating vectors. Includes an exercise which deals with the relationship between the two and several exercises which address various problems using different kinds of fractions. (TW)

Notes some of the concerns about calculus education that were expressed at a recent conference of the National Academy of Sciences. Lists problems with unwieldy textbooks, poor teaching, large classes, and low standards. Suggests that the increasing use of computers and advanced calculators can help reform calculus instruction. (TW)

Described is a computer algebra system that can be used to help students understand the calculus. Provides several examples of solving calculus problems using muMATH. Lists eight references. (YP)

Describes undergraduate projects at Harvey Mudd College (California) that use advanced laboratory equipment and procedures normally reserved for graduate students. Examples are given in experimental biology (e.g., digital imaging and DNA analysis), in physics (e.g., using satellites to study earthquake faults), and in mathematics (e.g., teaching…