Actual Problems, Actual Mathematics – Applied Mathematics in Science and the Classroom
William Stone, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Stephen Davis, Davidson College
Saturday Morning
We are seeking papers presenting applications of mathematics to actual problems, as well as examples of actual applications being brought into the classroom. Unusual applications are especially welcome!
Advances in Recreational Mathematics
Paul R. Coe, Dominican University
Kristen Schemmerhorn, Dominican University
Thursday afternoon
There have been many recent advances in recreational mathematics. For the purposes of this session, the definition of recreational mathematics will be a broad one. The primary guideline used to determine suitability of a paper will be the understandability of the mathematics. For example, if the mathematics in the paper is commonly found in graduate programs, then it would probably be considered unacceptable. Novel applications as well as new approaches to old problems are welcome. Examples of use of the material in the undergraduate classroom are encouraged.
Creative Uses of Emerging Technologies for Mathematics Teaching
Lila F. Roberts, Clayton State University
David R. Hill, Temple University
Friday afternoon
Technologies and software for teaching mathematics have had a tremendous positive impact on how we teach and how students learn. Discussions about technology for teaching mathematics used to involve computer algebra systems, spreadsheets, graphing calculators, and other devices. Many of these are now commonplace and available in many of our classrooms, computer labs, student homes and backpacks. There are other gadgets hiding in those backpacks such as MP3 players, personal video players, PDAs, digital cameras, Pocket PCs, GPS receivers, just to name a few. Most of these were not originally intended for educational purposes, but innovative mathematics instructors are developing creative uses for these new technologies. This contributed paper session will focus on innovative ways to incorporate emerging technologies into mathematics instruction. We invite proposals for presentations that describe implementations and/or assessments of implementations of emerging technologies such as MP3 players, personal video players, digital cameras, PDAs, Pocket PCs, Tablet PCs, GPS receivers, or other interesting technologies into mathematics instruction at any level in the undergraduate curriculum. Proposals should specifically describe how the technology was implemented into instruction and the effect of the technology on student learning and attitudes toward mathematics. This session is sponsored by CTiME.
Fascinating Examples from Combinatorics, Discrete Mathematics, and Graph Theory
Suzanne Dorée, Augsburg College
Nancy Ann Neudauer, Pacific University
Saturday afternoon
In recent years, combinatorics, graph theory, and discrete mathematics have received a great deal of attention for several reasons: technological advances enable us to solve large scale problems which had previously been considered impossible; high-tech and communications companies have driven the need for new results and more researchers in discrete applied mathematics; and the emergence of undergraduate research has illuminated the accessible undergraduate research projects in these fields. The undergraduate curriculum has become rich in courses, research projects, and internships in these areas. This session invites papers of interesting examples and results in the areas of combinatorics, graph theory, or discrete mathematics at a level suitable for advanced undergraduates. Mathematical results of in-class or undergraduate research projects are encouraged, as are modern applications at the elementary level. Novel or little known results suitable for the undergraduate curriculum are also welcome.
How To Get Students to Read the Text and Does This Matter?
Mike Axtell, Wabash College
Joe A. Stickles, Jr., Millikin University
Paula R. Stickles, Millikin University
Friday afternoon
The purpose of this session is to provide a forum where ideas concerning good practice involving pre-class assignments, entry quizzes, one-minute papers, presentations, and/or discussions can be shared as well as SoTL projects documenting the effectiveness of such assignments. This session thus aims to both provide ‘best practice’ and ‘document results’ components. We are looking for talks that present both innovative practices in ways that get the students to read the text, as well as document the effect of these practices. However, talks that do one or the other will also be considered.
Incorporating Humanities and the Arts into the Mathematics Classroom (and Vice Versa)
Michelle Ghrist, U.S. Air Force Academy
Thursday afternoon
As a segment of our society finds it increasingly difficult to understand how mathematics affects their everyday lives and why they should bother to learn mathematics, it behooves us to find more ways to connect mathematics with other fields. In particular, being able to connect mathematics with the humanities is a worthwhile endeavor. In this session, we seek novel ways of helping undergraduate students of mathematics at all levels experience mathematics by connecting it with fields such as literature, poetry, philosophy, art, and music. In addition, we seek innovative ways of allowing students of the humanities and the arts to experience mathematics and how it relates to what they are learning and their lives. We welcome presentations that offer interesting examples from the humanities and the arts used in the mathematics classroom and vice versa.
Innovations in Mathematics Education
Nancy Leveille, University of Houston-Downtown
Carol Vobach, University of Houston-Downtown
Saturday afternoon
This session invites papers dealing with mathematics education courses, for either pre-service or in-service teachers at any level of K-12, in undergraduate or Master of Arts programs. The papers presented are expected to be reports on initial stages of studies, preliminary reports on research studies, documented studies, or mathematics education research on topics such as: nonstandard delivery of courses; assessment of courses or training programs; successful alignment of courses or programs to national or state standards; interactions between local universities and school districts; acquisition or implementation of grants to support mathematics education programs. It is hoped that the presentations provide a venue for new contacts and an exchange of ideas for those interested in mathematics education.
Integrating Biology and Mathematics
James Fulton, Suffolk County Community College
Timothy Comar, Benedictine University
Thursday afternoon
The report, BIO 2010: Transforming Undergraduate Education for Future Research Biologists (National Research Council, 2003), emphasizes that aspects of biological research are becoming more quantitative and that there are needs to introduce life science students to a greater array of mathematical and computational techniques and to integrate mathematics and biological content at the undergraduate level. However, this report
focuses on recommendations for students who intend to pursue graduate and research careers. As most students who major in the biological and life sciences will not pursue graduate education and may not enroll in a calculus level course, it is important that these students, too, are introduced to relevant mathematics and computational techniques that are motivated by biological examples that may appear in their undergraduate science courses. This is session is designed to highlight successful course modules, courses, and interdisciplinary programs that either integrate biological content into mathematics courses or effectively incorporate basic mathematical content into biology courses. We seek presenters from two-year institutions, liberal arts colleges, and universities of all sizes. We encourage submissions from teams of mathematicians and biologists. This session is sponsored by the BIO SIGMAA.
Interesting Topics in History of Mathematics that Enhance the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics
Daniel Curtin, Northern Kentucky University
Amy Shell-Gellasch, Pacific Lutheran University
Saturday morning
The history of mathematics can be used to motivate the learning of mathematics as well as enhance and supplement mathematics instruction. This session seeks presentations that suggest ways that the history of mathematics can be used to enrich the teaching of traditional mathematics in intriguing and surprising ways.
Projects and Demonstrations that Enhance a Differential Equations Course
Shawnee McMurran, California State University San Bernardino
Richard Marchand, Slippery Rock University
Friday afternoon
Differential equations is a diverse mathematical field that affords educators a great deal of flexibility in terms of content. The course can be highly theoretical, applied, or a combination of each. This session invites novel projects or demonstrations that enhance a differential equations course either through the facilitation of mathematical theory or exposure to interdisciplinary fields. New and interesting case studies are encouraged, especially those that require computational or qualitative techniques. Demonstrations may be virtual, physical or mathematical. Examples include, but are not limited to, novel proofs, mathlets, or physical demonstrations.
Projects, Applications and Demonstrations to Enhance a Numerical Analysis or Computational Mathematics Course
Olga Brezhneva, Miami University
David Coulliette, Asbury College
Friday afternoon
The spread of computational mathematics into an increasing variety of nontraditional application areas (e.g., biology, chemistry and finance) presents novel challenges for the numerical analysis or computational mathematics professor. Since MathFest 2006, an enthusiastic group of teachers has been meeting to discuss these fascinating courses. These lively and well-attended sessions have hosted topics ranging from current research to successful ways to present a particular numerical or computational topic to interesting applications to use in the course. We wish to continue this discussion at MathFest 2008 with a similarly flexible set of presentations, but this year we want to focus on application projects and models that will connect the traditional topics to new applications. We encourage presentations in areas like:
1. Computational applications to new areas like biology, chemistry, art or
finance.
2. Successful presentations of numerical or computational topics.
3. Strategies for effective projects and assignments in these courses.
4. New research results that might be incorporated in an undergraduate
numerical or computational course.
5. Approaches to making nontraditional math majors successful in these
courses
Teaching Mathematics and Statistics through Current Civic Issues
Rikki Wagstrom, Metropolitan State University
Cynthia Kaus, Metropolitan State University
Thursday afternoon
This session will showcase curricular and pedagogical initiatives to improve undergraduate mathematics and statistics education by connecting learning to critical civic questions. Presentations may highlight efforts in courses for non-majors or courses within the mathematics major. Topics for this session may include the development of curriculum integrating mathematics and current social or environmental issues, pedagogical strategies for integrating mathematics and civic issues in classrooms, coordinating particular types of civic engagement opportunities in mathematics and statistics courses such as service-learning projects, or assessment of student learning in courses integrating mathematics and civic issues.
General Contributed Paper Sessions
Sarah Mabrouk, Framingham State College
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday mornings and afternoons
Papers may be presented on any mathematically related topic. This session is designed for papers that do not fit into one of the other sessions. Papers that fit in into one of the other sessions should be sent to that organizer, not to this session.
