Conference Session

Using Applications and Projects in Teaching Mathematics

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Hassan Moore, University of Alabama, Birmingham

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

AC 2012-3176: USING PROJECTS TO STIMULATE LEARNING IN MATH-EMATICS AND ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS COURSESDr. Hassan Moore, University of Alabama, Birmingham Page 25.1437.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2012 Using projects to stimulate learning in mathematics and engineering mathematics coursesAbstractAn engineering mathematics course – developed in the fall of 2008 at the University of Alabamaat Birmingham – teaches concepts in both Calculus III and Differential Equations. An importantaspect of the course is the implementation of student projects, meant for individual performance,which

Conference Session

Using Applications and Projects in Teaching Mathematics

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gunter Bischof, Joanneum University of Applied Sciences, Graz, Austria; Christian Steinmann, Joanneum University of Applied Sciences, Graz, Austria

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

from the Technical University Graz, where he focused on software quality and software development process assessment and improvement. He is Manager of HM&S IT-Consulting in Graz and provides services for SPiCE/ISO 15504 and CMMI for development as a SEI-certified instructor. He performed more than 100 process assessments in software development departments for different companies in the finance, insurance, research, automotive, and automation sector. Currently, his main occupation is a consulting project for process improvement at the Electrics/Electronics Development Department at Volkswagen in Wolfsburg, Germany. On Fridays, he is teaching computer science introductory and programming courses at Joanneum

Conference Session

Using Applications and Projects in Teaching Mathematics

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Julie Gainsburg, California State University, Northridge

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

, which I termedskeptical reverence: a balance between seeing mathematics as an indispensible tool andunderstanding its limitations. I argued that this disposition was functional and necessary forengineers to carry out design and analysis effectively; the wrong level of reliance onmathematics—too much reverence or too much skepticism—would incur safety and economicrisks. Unanswered by this prior research was how these engineers developed their perspective onthe relationship between mathematics and engineering and this disposition of skepticalreverence. This question is taken up by the study reported here.This study was part of a larger project to investigate how engineers develop as problem solverswho apply mathematics effectively. I conjecture

Conference Session

Using Applications and Projects in Teaching Mathematics

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David I. Spang, Burlington County College; Kathleen Spang, Middlesex Boro High School

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

myriad of factors produce extreme pressures on academic programs, and more broadly oncolleges and universities themselves. Institutions of Higher Education are increasingly beinglooked at to provide support for current students, to produce capable graduates, and to meet theneeds of the labor markets. In order to attempt to meet these daunting goals, various aspects ofthe academic curriculum will need to be adjusted and formalized.A recently completed NSF-funded project at Burlington County College, entitled “Institutional-Level Reform of an Engineering Technology Program.” sought to identify critical skills andcompetencies needed by industry (both technical and non-technical) and to examine the meansby which these competencies are incorporated

Conference Session

Using Computers, Software, and Writing to Improve Mathematical Understanding

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

N. Jean Hodges, Virginia Commonwealth University, Qatar

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

. Quizzes, tests, brief “recollectionwritings,” written journal assignments, and projects are incorporated into the course. Studentscomplete journal assignments under the guidance of the same writing center instructor, whocollaborates with the math professor. While good grammar, punctuation, and clarity of wordingare encouraged, students are penalized for writing problems only when their responses cannot beclearly understood. Procedures and Materials. Although the MATH 131 professor and a writing instructorcollaborated to develop the procedures followed, none of the materials used is so specializedthat, once informed about specific instruments, the math professor alone could not haveconducted the course. The materials and techniques included

Conference Session

Techniques in Improving Mathematics Education in STEM Curricula

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Erin Shaw, University of Southern California; Zachary Boehm, University of Southern California; Hussain Badruddin Penwala, University of Southern California; Jihie Kim, University of Southern California

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

activities that promote critical thinking, problem solving and decision-making Page 25.661.2(Denner et al., 2009).The original project was envisioned with four tracks: a game-making track, a game-design track,a mathematics track, and an online collaboration track to support team-based game design. Withrespect to mathematics, producing games exposes students naturally to logic, math andcomputational thinking. Concepts such as rates and fractions become accessible to students whomust set player speeds to grid multiples to ensure safe passage through mazes. Data collectedduring play testing sessions is averaged and graphed to analyze game design. Logic is

Conference Session

The Transition from Secondary to College Mathematics

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sabina Jeschke, RWTH Aachen University; Olivier Frédéric Pfeiffer, Technische Universität Berlin; Omar Musa Hasan, American University of Mdaba; Erhard Zorn, Technische Universität Berlin

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

AC 2012-5187: AN INTRODUCTORY MATHEMATICS COMPUTER COURSEAS A SUPPLEMENT TO A MATHEMATICAL BRIDGE COURSEProf. Sabina Jeschke, RWTH Aachen UniversityMr. Olivier Frdric Pfeiffer, Technische Universitt Berlin Olivier Pfeiffer received his M.Sc. in mathematics at Technische Universitt Berlin in 2002. His thesis in numerical mathematics investigated ”Error Control using Adaptive Methods for Elliptic Control Problems in Matlab”. He has been working in several eLearning projects at TUB to support teaching of mathemat- ics for mathematicians, engineers, and natural scientists in 2011, as a Research Assistant at SFB609 in Dresden from 2002-2004, and is now again with the School II Mathematics and Natural Sciences at TUB

Conference Session

The Transition from Secondary to College Mathematics

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bert Pariser, Technical Career Institutes

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

addition, Pariser co-founded five venture companies and as a management consultant successfully catalyzed more than $100 million of new shareholder value in client businesses. He has led cross-functional client teams in projects to find and capture value-creating profit and growth opportunities. Pariser is a Trustee of Mutual Fund Series Trust and serves as a member or the audit committee. Pariser received a Ph.D. and M.S. from Columbia University and a B.S. from MIT in electrical engineering. Email: bert.pariser@gmail.com. Page 25.1256.1 c American Society for Engineering Education

Conference Session

The Transition from Secondary to College Mathematics

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Galen E. Turner III, Louisiana Tech University; Kelly B. Crittenden, Louisiana Tech University; James D. Nelson, Louisiana Tech University; Heath Tims, Louisiana Tech University

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

Page 25.165.6attended this series of workshops and became a key target school for the college. For the year‟s 2001, 2002, 2003 AHS was consistently near the f-indices for these years, ranked 4th, 10th, and 8th, respectively. In 2004, three of the authors teamed up to pilot a new professional development program, with AHS, which became the demonstration project for the NSF funded LaTechSTEP2 program. In 2005 and 2006, AHS was ranked 2nd in the number of freshmen entering the college, and AHS remained ranked above the f-index for each year from 2005-06 through 2009-10. AHS is now considered one of our key feeder schools. 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Conference Session

Using Computers, Software, and Writing to Improve Mathematical Understanding

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jorge A. Samayoa, Galileo University and Purdue University; Carlos Humberto Zelada, Galileo University

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

Beaumont 9 and Reinhold 8 . Page 25.1430.2Tonkin 11 suggests that the use of wikis in education should fall into one of these four categories: 1. Single-user. This allows individual students to write and edit their own thoughts. 2. Lab book. This enables students to peer review notes kept online by adding, for example, comments or annotations to existing lecture notes or seminar discussions. 3. Collaborative writing. This can be used by a team for joint research such as a group project, essay or presentation. 4. Creating a topical knowledge repository for a module cohort. Through collaborative entries, students create

Conference Session

Techniques in Improving Mathematics Education in STEM Curricula

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John R. Reisel, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; Marissa Jablonski, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; Ethan V. Munson, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; Hossein Hosseini, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

to UWM’s College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Jablonski is focusing her dissertation on sustainable oxidation of textile wastewater and is working to create small-scale wastewater treatment units for cottage textile industries. She trained at the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) in Nagpur, India where she worked on biodegradation of azo dye intermediates. Jablonski served as Co-chair of UWM’s student chapter of Engineers Without Borders for two years since its inception in 2007 and continues to help design and implement water distribution projects in Guatemala. Jablonski was a 2008 recipient of the NSF Graduate Fellowship Honorable Mention, the 2008 Wisconsin Water Association

Conference Session

The Transition from Secondary to College Mathematics

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Helen M. Doerr, Syracuse University; Andria Costello Staniec, Syracuse University; AnnMarie H. O'Neil, C.S. Driver Middle School

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

Page 25.410.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2012 Designing for Improved Success in First Year MathematicsIn responding to the need to improve retention in the first year of engineering, many institutionshave developed a range of academic support programs, including learning communities, peermentoring, summer bridge programs, tutoring and supplemental instructional workshops.1,2,3,4,5Other institutional efforts are aimed at curricular changes involving new approaches to teachingand learning, such as student-centered pedagogies and design projects in first-year engineeringcourses.6,7 However, students’ difficulties with first year mathematics courses remain awidespread and consistent barrier

Conference Session

Techniques in Improving Mathematics Education in STEM Curricula

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yonghui Wang, Prairie View A&M University; Jian-ao Lian, Prairie View A&M University; Yonggao Yang, Prairie View A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

students can learn and practice their math concepts any timeanywhere with their laptop PC. Vizard—a popular virtual reality programming environment—ischosen to design the course teaching modules to make the math learning full of fun.In this project, faculty members developed new interactive teaching and learning modules andintroduced them into the corresponding college math classes. Preliminary results on STEMstudents’ opinion were obtained and obstacles were discussed. Based on feedbacks of ourpreliminary exploit, we will further improve our current teaching and learning modules anddevelop more modules to enhance STEM students’ math learning.1. IntroductionNowadays, with the advancement of computer technology, the number of jobs requiring mathand

Conference Session

Techniques in Improving Mathematics Education in STEM Curricula

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jennifer Vandenbussche, Southern Polytechnic State University; Christina R. Scherrer, Southern Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

% Other 54.5% 53.1% Total students completing the survey 22 32 Table 1: Self-reported demographicsDemographics of the College Algebra sectionsThe students took a survey within the first few weeks of class that contained questions about Page 25.150.6their background. The survey was adapted from a student pre-survey used on a project entitled,“Developing statistical indicators of the quality of undergraduate mathematics education,”headquartered at the Office for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education