Conference Session

Innovative Instructional Strategies and Curricula

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Murray Teitell, DeVry University, Long Beach; William Sullivan, DeVry University

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

to the academic and career goals of thestudent. This began the active learning process. An example of “The Frame” is illustrated in Figure 1. The student has an interest in howdiseases spread. The student’s career goal was to go into a biomedical field. The studentresearched the process and found a set of differential equations that model the spread of diseasefor a particular and general case.5,6Figure 1. “The Frame” utilized in the context of the spreading of disease. Susceptible βI Infected g Recoveredβ = transmission rate, B = birth rate, d = death rate, R0 = reproductive rate (rate that infectedpersons cause new infected persons), g = recovery rate, S, I and R are the populations of thethree

Conference Session

Innovative Instructional Strategies and Curricula

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kingsley Reeves, University of South Florida; Bill Blank, University of South Florida; Victor Hernandez-Gantes, University of South Florida; Maniphone Dickerson, University of South Florida

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

learning. Forexample, one exercise enables students to build upon previously acquired knowledge related tocounting techniques and the concept of statistical independence and, through self-discovery,derive the probability mass function for the binomial distribution. Data were collected from botha control group and a treatment group. Preliminary results regarding the efficacy of such anapproach are presented.1. IntroductionThe need for a strong engineering workforce in the United States has been affirmed by severalnational studies including some sponsored by both the National Science Foundation and theNational Academy of Engineering1-3. Existing research on learning and teaching offerspedagogical approaches that have proven to be effective in

Conference Session

Changing the Classroom Environment in Mathematics Education

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jenna Tague, Ohio State University; Gregory Richard Baker, Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

the students’ grades spreadsheet after thestudent finished the entire module. Through Articulate Storyline, point values for eachquestion can be assigned and the number of attempts possible can also be assigned. Thepoints assigned for each module ranged between 4 and 10 points and altogether counted as apart of the students’ homework grades. Short answer and essay question answers wereviewed by the instructor and the researchers to inform future modules and the lecture for thenext day, but were not graded. An example of an essay question is shown below in Figure 1.Though students were permitted to work together, only individuals' scores were recorded. Onaverage 90% of the students completed each of the modules across the semester.Figure 1

Conference Session

Changing the Classroom Environment in Mathematics Education

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rebecca Bourn, Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy; Sarah C. Baxter, University of South Carolina

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

, technologyand applied science applications.EFFECTs was developed by a team of researchers at the University of South Carolina underfunding from the National Science Foundation. It has been disseminated via the web and hasover a dozen practitioners who have applied the framework to concepts such as geotechnicalengineering, thermodynamics, mechanics, numerical methods, and scientific visualization,working with students at all stages of their engineering education [1]. The central learning goalsof engineering EFFECTs are to (i) improve the understanding and retention of a specific set ofconcepts that provide core knowledge and (ii) encourage students to recognize and developcritical thinking skills that lead to earlier growth in engineering judgment. The

Conference Session

Issues and Answers in Mathematics Education

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amelito G. Enriquez, Canada College

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

to the development of the Mini-Math Jam – a shorter, one-week version of Math Jam that is offered a week prior to the beginning of the fall semester, andduring the winter break. The Mini-Math Jam has also been successful in helping studentsimprove their placement scores, and preparing them for subsequent math courses they take.1. IntroductionCommunity colleges serve as the gateway to higher education for large numbers of students inthe U.S., especially minority and low-income students. Yet for many students, the communitycollege gateway does not lead to success. According to a study of community colleges inCalifornia, only one in four students wanting to transfer or earn a degree/certificate did sowithin six years.1 The completion rates for

Conference Session

Issues and Answers in Mathematics Education

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Paul Chanley, North Essex Community College; Michael E. Pelletier, Northern Essex Community College; Linda A. Desjardins, Northern Essex Community College; Lori Heymans, Northern Essex Community College

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

approximately 8 hours a week (4 hours of regularclass time, a 1-hour weekly meeting with the course instructor, a 2-hour SI session and 1 hourpreparation time).Student SuccessThe two college reports which follow indicate that the SI sections did help students succeed inCollege Algebra & Trigonometry and other math classes. In the Achieving the Dream report, thedata focuses exclusively on the pilot SI section for College Algebra & Trigonometry held in thespring of 2009. NECC Achieving the Dream Report – A Preliminary Look at Comparing Outcomes for Students who received Supplemental Instruction to those who did not – College Algebra & Trigonometry1 During the Spring 2009 semester

Conference Session

Computers and Software in Teaching Mathmatics

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Micah Stickel, University of Toronto

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

courses.Matlab Component DescriptionThe advanced engineering mathematics course in which this Matlab component was includedcovers the standard topics of ordinary differential equations (ODEs), Laplace transforms, andcomplex analysis (including complex numbers, functions of a complex variable, and integrationin the complex plane). The component consisted of three self-study modules, two onlinequizzes, five sets of teaching assistant (TA) office hours (each 2 hours long), and a set of videotutorials.Matlab Self-Study ModulesThe three self-study modules are described in greater detail in Table 1 below, and as an examplethe third module is presented in Appendix A. These modules were designed to allow the studentto work through them on their own time in the

Conference Session

Students' Abilities and Attitudes

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kendrick T. Aung, Lamar University

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

mathematics to undergraduate engineering students 1-3. The main objective ofthe paper is to provide some lessons learned in developing and conducting a graduateengineering mathematics course from the perspective of an instructor. These lessonsdiscussed in the paper may be insightful and useful to other faculty members trying todevelop such a course or teaching a similar course.Course Description The author designed and developed the course, MEEN 5304 AdvancedEngineering Analysis, in 2001 and started offering the course in fall 2002. The coursecontents were chosen according to the contents and requirements of other graduate Page 22.1371.3courses offered

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

designprinciples that guided the development and implementation of these programs, followed by adiscussion of the lessons learned.Programmatic Changes in MathematicsWe developed and implemented three changes in the mathematics program for engineeringstudents: (1) a revision of the summer bridge program mathematics course; (2) the creation of amodified pre-calculus course for students who would otherwise have been placed in a collegealgebra course; and (3) the implementation of a Calculus I course for students who had not takencalculus in high school. In each of the sections that follow, we describe the engineering studentsfor whom the change was targeted and our specific goals for the changes we implemented.The Summer Bridge ProgramThe summer bridge

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

’ dispositions with abackwards approach: It rests on the assumption, grounded in my prior research, that the ultimatemathematical disposition of engineers, that of skeptical reverence, is a productive and desirableone for future engineers and other professionals. It then targets individuals at various stages ofthe transition between school and engineering work and explores their evolving perceptions ofthe relationship between mathematics and engineering.MethodsThis study focused on the 12 participants who were selected to represent early engineer-development stages: two students in each of Years 1 and 2 of the undergraduate civil-engineeringprogram at California State University, Northridge: three students in each of Years 3 and 4 inthis program, some

Conference Session

Using Computers, Software, and Writing to Improve Mathematical Understanding

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Schmeelk, Virginia Commonwealth University, Qatar

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

. Then we obtain the familiar and very important 2 i 1result to many applications: the cosine of the angle between the two vectors, x and y,satisfies the equation, cos()=xy/( x y ). We know the maximum value for the cosineoccurs when the two vectors coincide, giving a value, cosine(0)=1. This is an importantobservation in edge detection and will later be explained. We now evaluate the values ofthe grey levels between neighboring pixel locations. This will be determined byintroducing the partial derivative formulas, f ( x, y) f ( x  x, y)  f ( x, y)  lim

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

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

Ftotal = k f 2We find empirically that k ranges between 6 and 9 for the College of Engineering and Science atLouisiana Tech university for each year starting in 2000. Figure 1. shows the f-index for 2007-08, here k =6. Page 25.165.3 f-index for 2007-08 14 12Number of Students 10 8 6 4 2 0 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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

take the mathematics of the first semester before they enroll atthe university5. Page 25.175.2Mathematics Bridge CourseIn order to facilitate the transition from high school to university the Department of Mathematicsof our university offers a four-week bridge course before each semester. In this coursemathematics on the level of an advanced high school course is repeated. The course consists of adaily two-hour lecture and a two-hour exercise. Before the summer semester regularly 200-300and before the winter semester 800-1000 freshmen participate in this course (see figure 1).Because of financial reasons recitations classes in small groups

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

different times: 9:00-9:50 am, 1:00-1:50 pm, and6:30-7:20 pm. The sections were designed to concentrate on specific math courses, and studentswere to register for the appropriate section based on their math course. Five new peer mentorswere hired while two mentors remained from the year before to share their experiences and serveas role models for the new hires. Most incoming freshmen registered for the course and since itwas a part of their schedule, the majority attended throughout the semester. Having the class as apart of their weekly schedule, coupled with introducing a grade for the course based uponparticipation, increased attendance. Nearly all students who participated in the study groupsattended more than 2/3 of the meetings.However

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

collecting interesting data, such as most visitedtopics, demographics, and traffic intensity per hour. We use traffic intensity per hour as a way ofhow to use MediaWiki as a supplementary educational tool.1 Introduction1.1 Wikis in EducationA wiki is a well known tool for collaborative environment, the concept was developed by WardCunningham in 1995. Later, in 2001, Ward Cunnignham and Bo Leuf 5 define the nature of thewiki as an interface that allows users to edit and create any page in the wiki, without the need toinstall external plugins to the web browser. Wikis are commonly used as a tool for creatingcontent in collaboration with others and to serve as a source of information. Also, this web toolallows users to discuss and share their

Conference Session

The Transition from Secondary to College Mathematics

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alex Feldman, Boise State University; Doug Bullock, Boise State University; Janet Callahan, Boise State University

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

school, resulting in lack of knowledge retention by thetime they enter the university and eventually enroll in a required mathematics course. Page 25.1433.2When a student is placed in a class that is too easy it is a waste of time and resources, but the 1situation will often right itself after one semester. If a student is placed in a class that is toodifficult there are two serious deleterious effects: 1. The student may perform poorly, and fail the course or earn a grade damaging to the student’s grade point average. There is a documented connection between first year GPA and

Conference Session

Using Computers, Software, and Writing to Improve Mathematical Understanding

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bipin K. Pai, Purdue University, Calumet

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

25.1435.2groups when their performances are compared to account for the fact that one of the groups didnot have the opportunity to participate in the online quizzes or online discussions, especially ifcredit is given for such online activities. The Numerical Methods course taught in Summer 2011was offered as a hybrid course rather than a totally online course for several reasons including(1) the fact that although it was the second time that this course was offered as an online course,it was actually the first time that this course had online quizzes and online discussions, (2) theclass met at least once a week face-to-face in order to answer questions that students for somereason chose not to ask online, and (3) the instructor was uneasy about

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

. Whenever numerical answers are required, find the exact values using a calculator. A certain amount of collaboration is acceptable in doing this project, but reports must be written individually. Thus, when writing your report, make sure that it is clearly different from reports of others and reflects your own thoughts for solving the problems. Reports that are virtually identical to others will not receive credit.In project 1, students are asked to use their knowledge of solving first-order ordinary differentialequations to tackle basic ideas in rocket science through the examination of the Jules Vernecatapult idea and single-stage rockets. The second project explores ideas in mechanicalvibrations with the concept of

Conference Session

Mathematics Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael R. Allen, Department of Mathematics; Dale A. Wilson, Tennessee Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

Mechanical Engineering. While a student, again, he worked on the Formula SAE team and assisted them in designing and building a half scale Formula 1 race car using a 610 cc motorcycle engine.Dr. Dale A. Wilson, Tennessee Technological University Page 23.882.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2013 Making Mathematics Relevant to Engineering Students Abstract: In 2004, the author, an Associate Professor of Mathematics and a truly nontradi-tional student, started an adventure by going back to school and majoring in Mechanical Engineer-ing. The author, along with his advisor and co

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

approach, the formalized incorporation of applications will have somecommon elements:1) The application must have some readily identifiable significance, both in terms offunctionality and economic benefit, and the underlying and reliant principles must be readilyidentifiable and well understood.2) The underlying and reliant principles must be summarized in plain language andcommunicated with a simple figure or table, where appropriate.3) The application and principles must have significance to an emerging student, both in futureacademic courses (on the undergraduate and graduate levels) and in likely career experiences.4) The introduction and development of the application must follow a sound pedagogicalapproach (i.e. the inclusion of Bloom’s

Conference Session

The Transition from Secondary to College Mathematics

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bert Pariser, Technical Career Institutes

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

address is http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/topic_t_3.html.A group of High School Teachers who were taking a course in teaching mathematics using UtahState University Software were having difficulty. They asked me to explain how it was possibleto use this software to actually teach the Pythagorean Theorem. In other words “How does thesolution of the puzzle prove the Pythagorean Theorem?” After my discussion with the teachers,it was clear to me that the concept of using manipulates motivated them to ask questions. Thisled me to believe that students would be similarly motivated by these manipulates. Page 25.1256.2The puzzle is set up as shown in Figure 1

Conference Session

Computers and Software in Teaching Mathmatics

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Cheri Shakiban, University of St. Thomas; Michael P. Hennessey, University of St. Thomas

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

publication. In addition to teaching regular math courses, I also like to create and teach innovative courses such as ”Mathematical symmetry of Southern Spain” and ”Mathematics and Architecture of the Incas in Peru”, which I have taught as study abroad courses several times.Michael P. Hennessey, University of St. Thomas Michael P. Hennessey (Mike) joined the full-time faculty as an Assistant Professor fall semester 2000. He is an expert in machine design, computer-aided-engineering, and in the kinematics, dynamics, and control of mechanical systems, along with related areas of applied mathematics. Presently, he has published 41 technical papers (published or accepted), in journals (9), conferences (31), or magazines (1). In

Conference Session

Engineering Mathematical Potpourri

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Schmeelk, Virginia Commonwealth University, Qatar

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

ProcessingAbstract Image edge detection is an integral component of image processing to enhancethe clarity of edges and the type of edges. Issues regarding edge techniques wereintroduced in my 2008 paper on Transforms, Filters and Edge Detectors.15 The currentpaper provides a deeper analysis regarding image edge detection using matrices; partialderivatives; convolutions; and the software MATLAB 7.9.0 and the MATLAB ImageProcessing Toolbox 6.4. Edge detection has applications in all areas of research,including medical research6,16. For example, a patient can be diagnosed with ananeurysm by studying the shape of the edges in an angiogram. An angiogram is thevisual view of the blood vessels (see Figure 1-Vascular Web image). The previouspaper15 studied

Conference Session

Integrating Math Science and Engineering

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Po-Hung Liu, National Chin-Yi University of Technology; Ching Ching Lin, National Taipei University of Technology; Tung-Shyan Chen, National Chin-Yi University of Technology, Fundamental General Education Center; Chiu-Hsiung Liao, National Chin-Yi University of Technology, Fundamental General Education Center; Yen Tung Chung, National Chin-Yi University of Technology, Fundamental General Education Center; C. Lin, National Chin-Yi University of Technology, Taiwan R.O.C.; Ruey-Maw Chen, National Chin-Yi University of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

-related courses werebetter than their counterparts in reformed Calculus I classes. Furthermore, 44% of reformedCalculus I students changed to traditional Calculus II programs and only 18% of traditionalCalculus I students shifted to reformed Calculus II. Baxter, Majumdar, and Smith[1] alsosurveyed reformed and traditional calculus students’achievement in the Math-ACT andfound that traditional Calculus I students’average grade was slightly higher than that in thereformed Calculus I, but only 52% of traditional Calculus I students passed the exam,significantly lower than reformed Calculus I students’passing rate of 64%. As for succeedingperformance, reformed Calculus I students surpassed the traditional students in Physics I andCalculus II, yet

Conference Session

Computers and Software in Teaching Mathmatics

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lin Li, Prairie View A&M University; Yonggao Yang, Prairie View A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

efficient in increasing studentengagement and supporting teachers’ instructional needs. The key strategy of the project is todevelop innovative math learning modules and use them to enhance students’ performance. Byapplying cutting-edge computer graphics and virtual reality technologies, these modules can: (1)make mathematics learning interesting while still retaining the underlying contents; (2) makeabstract and non-intuitive mathematics concepts “visible” and “touchable”, and thereby, easy tounderstand; and (3) bridge mathematics and engineering and motivate students to pursueengineering careers.The goal of the project is to ensure that students, especially freshmen and sophomores, canbenefit from the instructional strategies and develop a solid

Conference Session

Students' Abilities and Attitudes

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

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

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

the students finish all the topics in their pie they are given a comprehensive assessment todetermine if they have retained all the items in their pie. The progress assessments mostly givequestions that the students have currently worked on, and some that they are ready to learn. Thecomprehensive assessments give questions on any topic in the pie from the most basic materialto the last item that they learned. If the student earns a 92% or better on this assessment they aremoved to the next course. The 92% is based on percent mastery of the entire course, not 92% ofthe questions correct on the assessment. If they do not get a 92% they relearn the topics they gotwrong, and try the comprehensive assessment again. Figure 1 shows an assessment

Conference Session

Issues and Answers in Mathematics Education

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Paul J. Kauffmann, East Carolina University; Sviatoslav Archava, East Carolina University; Ricky T. Castles, East Carolina University; Heather L. Ries, East Carolina University; Stephanie T. Sullivan, East Carolina University; Karen A. De Urquidi, East Carolina University

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

students believe arethe issues which have the most impact and the interventions which would be most useful. Thispaper contributes to that area of the literature by presenting the results of a survey of 87engineering majors who took pre calculus. All had taken pre calculus within the past foursemesters and only 11% of the respondents had received a D or F grade. Specifically, the surveyexplored the research questions in Table 1. Table 1: Summary of Survey Research Questions 1. Do students believe they were placed in pre calculus appropriately? a. Is this substantiated by the correlation of the test score and the grade? 2. What is the role of high school preparation and how should this influence the course

Conference Session

Integrating Math Science and Engineering

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Murray Teitell, DeVry University, Long Beach, CA; William S. Sullivan, DeVry University, Long Beach

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

describe theauthors’ approach to adding original derivation assignments to the curriculum of engineering andtechnology courses in order to ensure the genesis of this creative skill set at the undergraduatelevel. The goal is to develop in undergraduate students learning patterns that will facilitate theability to write for any system, a set of equations that describes the system. II. INTRODUCTIONMathematical modeling entails finding a series of steps that define all the relationships in asystem. An example of a system is an energy system, a power system, an electronic circuit, amanufacturing process or a cancer cell. Each of these systems is an ongoing subject formathematical modeling.1-4 Students can use a

Conference Session

Students' Abilities and Attitudes

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kristi J Shryock, Texas A&M University; arun r srinivasa, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University; Jefferey E. Froyd, Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

theirspecific expectations for student mathematical knowledge and skills.After receiving sample problems from five faculty members, the questions were analyzed todevelop a set of learning outcomes that would reflect the knowledge and skills required to solvethe problems. There was significant overlap among the problems, with respect to the knowledgeand skills expected. The resulting set of mathematics topics for which engineering facultymembers expected student mastery are listed in Table 1. Table 1. First-year Mathematics Topics Determined by Engineering Faculty Members Projection Vector Components (2-D) Derivative (using Chain Rule) Second Derivative