Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Teaching Time Savers: Style Points, Michael E. Orrison Jr.

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

When I began as an assistant professor, I had a pretty good sense of how much time it would take for me to prepare for each class. After a few conversations with my new colleagues, I even had a good sense of how much time I should devote to tasks like office hours and committee work. Somewhere in the middle of grading my first exam, though, it became painfully clear that I had underestimated the amount of time I would need to grade exams!

Teaching Time Savers: A Recommendation For Recommendations, Michael E. Orrison Jr.

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

I admit it — I enjoy writing recommendation letters for my students. I like
learning about their hopes and dreams, where they have been and where they want to go. A recommendation letter is an opportunity to remind myself how much my students can grow while they are in college, and how much I have grown as an instructor, advisor, and mentor.

How Have Teachers Affected The Disinterest Towards Mathematics?, Amy Brown

Senior Honors Projects

In our school system today there is a collective disinterest and lack of enthusiasm towards mathematics as a whole. This apathy is prevalent as early as elementary school and continues through higher education. It is disheartening that so many students avoid mathematics because of their misconception that it is too difficult and has little value in their future. How well prepared are our teachers to deal with this? I began my research by looking at the past perceptions of mathematics and how the reform movement has changed this perspective. I also looked at the changing standards and how the Principles …

Abstracts Of Papers, 84th Annual Meeting Of The Virginia Academy Of Science

Virginia Journal of Science

Full abstracts of papers for the 84th Annual Meeting of the Virginia Academy of Science, May 25-26, 2006, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA

Gender And Educational And Occupational Choices, Jacquelynne Sue Eccles

STEM for Success Resources

Why Do Women and Men Make Such Different Choices for Their Lives? In most cultures, women and men are concentrated in quite different occupations and roles. Why? This presentation goal is to provide one perspective on this quite complex question – a perspective grounded in Expectancy –Value Models of Achievement-related Choices

Community Education In Karst At The Geological Alumni Society Geopark, University Of South Florida, Beth Fratesi, Lee J. Florea

Lee J Florea, PhD, P.G.

No abstract provided.

Communicating Applied Mathematics: Four Examples, Daniel E. Finkel, Christopher Kuster, Matthew Lasater, Rachel Levy, Jill P. Reese, Ilse C. F. Ipsen

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

Communicating Applied Mathematics is a writing- and speaking-intensive graduate course at North Carolina State University. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief description of the course objectives and the assignments. Parts A–D of of this article represent the class projects and illustrate the outcome of the course:

• The Evolution of an Optimization Test Problem: From Motivation to Implementation, by Daniel E. Finkel and Jill P. Reese

• Finding the Volume of a Powder from a Single Surface Height Measurement, by Christopher Kuster

• Finding Oscillations in Resonant Tunneling Diodes, by Matthew Lasater

• …

Journey To The Center Of The Core: Computers And The Internet In The Core Curriculum, Jorge Pérez, Meg C. Murray

Faculty Articles

Computers, digitalization and the Internet have transformed modern society. Commerce, education, communication and socialization will never be the same. Surprisingly, many universities do not require a computing course in the core curriculum. Critical information technology (IT) competencies are often taken for granted, to the detriment of students who lack computing and Internet skills. This paper describes an initiative undertaken by a computer science and information systems department to assess and remediate IT skills needed by all university students, regardless of major. The project is evolving along several dimensions: identification of discipline-independent IT competencies, assessment of IT skills among current and …

Challenges And Opportunities Facing Australian Universities Caused By Internationalisation Of Chinese Higher Education, Mingxuan Wu, Ping Yu

Faculty of Informatics - Papers (Archive)

China opened its market to the world after it entered The World Trade Organisation (WTO) at the turn of the last century. The Chinese Ministry of Education recently reviewed a series of policies about international cooperation in higher education with foreign countries in an effort to standardise their practice through centralised control. The purpose of this paper is to analyse current features and trends in international cooperation in Chinese higher education. This paper also develops a benefit-driven model of the internationalisation of Chinese higher education, and attempts to address the reasons for the marketability of cooperative programs in China. Finally, …

Studying The Performance Of A Firewall In Network Courses, José M. Garrido

Faculty Articles

This paper presents a simple simulation model of a firewall to derive several performance metrics and briefly argues on the importance and value of modeling and simulation in courses that study various aspects of perimeter defense in network security.

The simulation model mentioned previously is part of an effort by faculty of our department to develop a multi-disciplinary repository of computational models that includes object-oriented discrete-event simulation models. One of the goals of this repository is to build resources that help educate students of computer science, software engineering, and information technology, in modeling and information security.

This and other network …

Looking Beyond The Curriculum In Jamaica, Jon T. Jacobsen, Michael E. Orrison Jr.

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

In August 2004, we had the opportunity to travel to Jamaica to lead a pilot workshop for Jamaican high school math teachers. The workshop focused on the importance of mathematical context in the teaching of mathematics. It was sponsored by the Gibraltar Institute, a Jamaica-based nongovernmental organization led by Trevor Campbell (Pomona College) and Reginald Nugent (Cal State Pomona), Jamaica’s College of Agriculture, Science and Education, and Harvey Mudd College.

Slides: Long Term Forest Management: Creating A Forest Management Plan, Don Johnson

Community-Owned Forests: Possibilities, Experiences, and Lessons Learned (June 16-19)

Presenter: Don Johnson, Forest Land Improvement, Inc., NH town forests

51 slides

Community Forests: A Perspective, Robert Mccullough

Community-Owned Forests: Possibilities, Experiences, and Lessons Learned (June 16-19)

22 pages.

"Robert McCullough teaches in the University of Vermont Graduate Program in Historic Preservation. He wrote The Landscape of Community: Communal Forests in New England."

Slides: Changes In Timberland Ownership: The New Hampshire Experience, Paul Doscher

Community-Owned Forests: Possibilities, Experiences, and Lessons Learned (June 16-19)

Presenter: Paul Doscher, Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, Concord, NH

20 slides

Slides: Tug Hill Commission, Ny, Linda Gibbs

Community-Owned Forests: Possibilities, Experiences, and Lessons Learned (June 16-19)

Presenter: Linda Gibbs, Natural Resources Specialist, Tug Hill Commission, NY

26 slides

Slides: Community Forest Project: Grand Lake Stream, Maine, Steve Keith

Community-Owned Forests: Possibilities, Experiences, and Lessons Learned (June 16-19)

Presenter: Steve Keith, Farm Cove Community Forest, Downeast, ME

62 slides

Slides: A Fine Line Between Success And Failure In Partnerships, Greg Neudecker

Community-Owned Forests: Possibilities, Experiences, and Lessons Learned (June 16-19)

Presenter: Greg Neudecker, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Great Falls, MT

48 slides

Slides: Wisconsin County Forests, Neil Paulson

Community-Owned Forests: Possibilities, Experiences, and Lessons Learned (June 16-19)

Presenter: Neil Paulson, Bayfield County Forest, WI

25 slides

Slides: Water Use Efficiency: An Under-Tapped Resource, Bart Miller

Hard Times on the Colorado River: Drought, Growth and the Future of the Compact (Summer Conference, June 8-10)

Presenter: Bart Miller, Western Resource Advocates.

33 slides.

Gender Differences In Reading And Math Scores On The Pennsylvania System Of School Assessment Grade Five And Grade Eight Tests, Steven J. Rush

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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A Collaborative Approach To Health Informatics Capacity Building - Learning From Canadian Practice In Fostering Research And Education, Ping Yu, Marilynne Herbert, Francis Lau

Faculty of Informatics - Papers (Archive)

Objectives: Canada and Australia share two priority areas for HI workforce capacity building: to support research and education. This presentation will discuss a collaborative, nationwide health informatics (HI) PhD/Postdoc training program in Canada, which demonstrates a potential solution to meet these priorities. The status of HI higher education in Australia is briefly reviewed. The potential solution in resolving workforce shortage in Australia through adopting overseas practice is discussed, such as implementing a similar collaborative HI research training program across the country. Background: A Think Tank organized by Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing in 2003 explored the issue of HI …

Teaching Fractions, Natalie Miles

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Because fractions are a vital part of mathematics instruction in schools and can be found in real life, it is important that all students understand and be able to utilize them. Teachers should choose strategies that will work best for their individual students, taking into account the various ways their students learn and the fraction knowledge students already possess. To effectively teach fractions, teachers must find ways to prompt student interest. Teachers can accomplish this through the use of technology. games. and manipulatives. Effective teachers must take into account the cultural diversity of their students. Teachers must be able to …

The History Of Federal And Cooperative Animal Damage Control, Donald W. Hawthorne

Sheep and Goat Research Journal

The predecessor of the Wildlife Services program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, was founded by C. Hart Merriam in 1885 with a Congressional appropriation of $5,000. These funds were used to organize a Section of Economic Ornithology as part of the Entomology Division of USDA. Merriam immediately hired longtime friend A. K. Fisher to be his assistant and the two shared a clerk. The new Section proved to be so popular with farmers and politicians that the Congress created a separate Division of Economic Ornithology and Mammalogy in 1886. The Commissioner of Agriculture …

Examination Of Technologies For Student-Generated Work In A Peer-Led, Peer-Review Instructional Environment, Brian P. Coppola, Alan L. Kiste

Chemistry and Biochemistry

There is a growing literature demonstrating the effectiveness of using computer environments to assist students’ in visualizing science and mathematics concepts. However, with many of these computerized learning environments, students do not have the option of manipulating the environment. Instead, they are presented with pre-made visualizations. Enabling students to display their understanding through multiple representational forms is more interesting. In our peer-led, peer-review environment, students generate a complex, literature-based, multimedia text on which their final examination is based. However, there are great time and personnel costs in this design. Collaborating with SRI Inc., we are addressing these demands via the …

How We Think About And Prepare To Teach Physics, Dewey I. Dykstra

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

We have been preparing physics teachers in the same manner for many decades. Yet, physics education research reveals for some observers disturbing evidence of little or no change in understanding the phenomena occurs as a direct result of physics instruction from elementary school through the college years. The apparent compatibility between these learning results and prevailing paradigm enables the construction of a description the paradigm. If it can be demonstrated that there is even just one alternative paradigm from which powerful alternative pedagogical practice is derived, are we not obligated to change how we prepare to teach physics?

An Interactive Learning Environment For A Dynamic Educational Digital Library, Ee Peng Lim, Dion Hoe-Lian Goh, Yin-Leng Theng, Eng-Kai Suen

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

GeogDL is a digital library of geography examination resources designed to assist students in preparing for a national geography examination in Singapore. We describe an interactive learning environment built into GeogDL that consists of four major components. The practice and review module allows students to attempt individual examination questions, the mock exam provides a simulation of the actual geography examination, the trends analysis tool provides an overview of the types of questions asked in previous examinations, while the contributions module allows students and teachers to create and share knowledge within the digital library.

Issues Affecting Power Engineering Undergraduate Education In Australia, D A. Robinson, Victor J. Gosbell

Faculty of Informatics - Papers (Archive)

Recent changes to the electric power industry through deregulation and restructuring have had a considerable effect on power engineering education internationally. A number of Australian universities have also noticed a decline in the number of students interested in power engineering subjects, leading to the fewer graduates with power engineering knowledge. With a reduction in graduates and a perception of an aging workforce a shortage of suitably qualified power engineers for industry may be imminent. This paper provides discussion on the current status of university power engineering education within Australia and includes results from a recent Australia-wide survey of the university …

Move To Component Based Architectures: Introducing Microsoft's .Net Platform Into The College Classroom, Meg C. Murray

Faculty Articles

A transformation has been occurring in the architectural model for computer-based application intense software systems. This new model, software-as-a-service, will have a profound impact on the design and development of software for many years to come and as such college level computing curriculums will need to incorporate the concepts and methodologies associated with this new architecture. The platform is built upon a view of interrelated, distributed peer-level software modules and components that work in tandem to achieve specified functional goals. From Microsoft's viewpoint, migration to the new platform requires a radical shift in the software development lifecycle. It is becoming …

The Effects Of The Cognitive Tutor Algebra On Student Attitudes And Achievement In A 9th Grade Algebra Course, Gary S. Plano

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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The Development Of An Environmental Ethics Undergraduate Curriculum For California, James Rowland Roberts

Theses Digitization Project

This study included an environmental ethics syllabi research project, an environmental ethics curriculum development survey of all colleges in California, and the subsequent development of tables to compare the results. The curriculum development survey of California colleges includes a listing of all course descriptions of environmental ethics and related courses.