The Mystery of the Dancing Men

In this paper I describe an activity based on a 1903 Sherlock Holmes murder mystery, in which a substitution cipher is used to encrypt secret messages. The story provides a fun and interesting way to talk about frequency analysis, and can be used as a segue into mathematical constructs such as modular arithmetic and computation. The activity is accessible to ages twelve and above, and has been successfully used in mathematics outreach and popularization efforts as well as in general education and mathematics courses.

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LEARNING MASCULINITY: UNMASKING THE HIDDEN CURRICULUM IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS COURSES

Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering ◽

10.1615/jwomenminorscieneng.2015011359 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 107-124 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Arleen R. Bejerano ◽

Travis M. Bartosh

Keyword(s):

Hidden Curriculum ◽

Mathematics Courses ◽

Science Technology ◽

And Mathematics

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A Tilted-Axes Tool for Introductory Mechanics and Mathematics Courses

The Physics Teacher ◽

10.1119/1.5064561 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 56 (8) ◽

pp. 528-529

Author(s):

Jerome C. Licini

Keyword(s):

Mathematics Courses ◽

And Mathematics

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Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies

Peers as Change Agents ◽

10.1093/med-psych/9780190068714.003.0006 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 61-75

Author(s):

Devin M. Kearns ◽

Sarah R. Powell ◽

Douglas Fuchs ◽

Lynn S. Fuchs

Keyword(s):

General Education ◽

Students With Disabilities ◽

Learning Strategies ◽

Change Agents ◽

Sixth Grade ◽

Peer Assisted Learning ◽

Tutoring Program ◽

And Mathematics ◽

Vanderbilt University ◽

Peer Assisted Learning Strategies

Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) is a peer tutoring program available in the areas of reading and mathematics that incorporates peers as change agents in academic intervention. Developed at Vanderbilt University by Douglas Fuchs, Lynn S. Fuchs, and their colleagues, PALS is currently available in reading from kindergarten through high school and in mathematics from kindergarten through sixth grade. PALS is designed for implementation in general education settings with all students, including students with disabilities, and research supports the use of both Reading PALS and Math PALS. We provide recommendations for the implementation of PALS, as well as considerations of diversity and equity.

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Logic and Mathematics Courses

American Mathematical Monthly ◽

10.2307/2308575 ◽

1958 ◽

Vol 65 (7) ◽

pp. 501

Author(s):

Louis O. Kattsoff

Keyword(s):

Mathematics Courses ◽

And Mathematics

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Student Performance in Mathematics: Should we be Concerned?

International Journal of Adult Vocational Education and Technology ◽

10.4018/ijavet.2018010105 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 59-72

Author(s):

Mary C. Enderson ◽

Manveer Mann

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

Mathematics Achievement ◽

Student Performance ◽

Mathematical Tasks ◽

College Level ◽

Act Scores ◽

Mathematics Courses ◽

Course Grades ◽

And Mathematics ◽

Interdisciplinary Study

This article describes how for many college students the transition to college-level mathematics courses presents new challenges beyond those that were part of the high school experience. In this interdisciplinary study forty-four non-mathematics and non-science majors, enrolled in a retail-buying course, were studied to examine student confidence in performing applied mathematical tasks, mathematics achievement in college, and the relationship between predictors of college success (mathematics studied in high school, SAT/ACT scores, and mathematics courses taken in college). Measurements used for the study included a subset of items from the Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scale (MSES) on a 5-point Likert-type scale, course grades, number of years studying mathematics in high school and number of mathematics courses in college. Findings indicate that mathematics courses taken in college increased confidence in working mathematical tasks and were significant predictors of achievement in the retail course. In addition, SAT/ACT scores also were critical to the overall mathematics achievement.

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The Teaching Practices Inventory: A New Tool for Characterizing College and University Teaching in Mathematics and Science

CBE—Life Sciences Education ◽

10.1187/cbe.14-02-0023 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 552-569 ◽

Cited By ~ 62

Author(s):

Carl Wieman ◽

Sarah Gilbert

Keyword(s):

Teaching Practices ◽

University Teaching ◽

Mathematics Courses ◽

College And University ◽

University Instructors ◽

And Mathematics ◽

High Degree ◽

Mathematics And Science ◽

Use Of Research ◽

Science Disciplines

We have created an inventory to characterize the teaching practices used in science and mathematics courses. This inventory can aid instructors and departments in reflecting on their teaching. It has been tested with several hundred university instructors and courses from mathematics and four science disciplines. Most instructors complete the inventory in 10 min or less, and the results allow meaningful comparisons of the teaching used for the different courses and instructors within a department and across different departments. We also show how the inventory results can be used to gauge the extent of use of research-based teaching practices, and we illustrate this with the inventory results for five departments. These results show the high degree of discrimination provided by the inventory, as well as its effectiveness in tracking the increase in the use of research-based teaching practices.

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Critical Thinking as an Aim in Mathematics Courses for General Education

Mathematics Teacher ◽

10.5951/mt.45.4.0249 ◽

1952 ◽

Vol 45 (4) ◽

pp. 249-256

Author(s):

James H. Zant

Keyword(s):

Critical Thinking ◽

General Education ◽

Mathematics Courses ◽

General Terms ◽

Unanimous Agreement

Since this paper deals with critical thinking I want to he particularly careful to make the thinking represented by material discussed here also critical. Hence, the paper will begin with certain definitions or assumptions as to the meanings of such terms as General Education, Mathematics for General Education and Critical Thinking. It is too much to expect in a brief paper that concise definitions of such general terms are possible; it is less likely to expect unanimous agreement on the definitions that will be stated. However, to think clearly about such a topic as critical thinking as an aim in mathematics for general education it is necessary that the terms be defined.

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Predictors of Persistence and Success in an Engineering Program

NACADA Journal ◽

10.12930/0271-9517-15.1.15 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

pp. 15-21 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

James Levin ◽

John H. Wyckoff

Keyword(s):

Academic Advising ◽

Logistic Models ◽

Predictor Variables ◽

Mathematics Courses ◽

Undergraduate Engineering ◽

Engineering Program ◽

Noncognitive Variables ◽

And Mathematics ◽

Over Time

This study identifies student variables that predict persistence and success in an undergraduate engineering program. Three logistic models were developed that predicted the probability of persisting successfully. Significant predictors included both cognitive and noncognitive variables; students who did well in science and mathematics courses and who were genuinely interested in engineering were more likely to persist and succeed. Predictor variables were not constant over time but changed as students progressed through the first two years of study, with performance in prerequisite science and mathematics courses emerging as the best predictors. The authors briefly discuss academic advising implications.

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