Advocating blended learning for university undergraduate level mathematical instruction beyond Covid-19

Institutional mathematics education has long been traditional in its ways of being teacher-centric, a tradition which perhaps dates back to the Ancient Greece. Much like the society in those days, where there was a wary public feeling about the rigidness of the mathematical instruction in Pythagoras’ school, mathematics educators find themselves in a similar position in the common era of 2020. Unlike the Ancient Greece however, the battle is for the sustained delivery of a comprehensive mathematics education in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. It would be fair to say that mathematics departments across all levels of the education sector have been affected drastically; more so on instructors who favour the traditional “chalk and talk” method of instruction. In this article, we share several lessons learned in the delivery of mathematical instruction at undergraduate university level during the Covid-19 pandemic, drawing on our experience at Universiti Brunei Darussalam. These include specific methods for implementing online learning effectively, the pros and cons of such methods, and how we can use computer based tools to make learning more conducive. We highly think that these implementations are beneficial to be adapted by mathematics departments anywhere as a means of adapting to the new realities post Covid-19.

John Horton Conway FRS

John Horton Conway lived to discover the Mathematics behind problems, always working to isolate a pure, essential kernel of truth. He loved to communicate these simple truths to others, often changing the way they thought. Everything John touched turned to Mathematics, and to very beautiful Mathematics. John was generous with his mathematical riches; he gave them to everyone that showed interest — whether at the coffee house, at the sushi restaurant, or in Mathematics departments. He was a magnet for all mathematicians, and he welcomed all who came to him. John would find a way to start with some simple calculation, a game or puzzle and turn it into whatever he wanted to explain. John often chose problems about games and recreational topics, but the insights he derived changed our understanding of several very serious branches of Mathematics.

Brief Report: Characteristics of Precalculus Through Calculus 2 Programs: Insights From a National Census Survey

We present findings from a recently completed census survey of all mathematics departments in the United States that offer a graduate degree in mathematics. The census survey is part of a larger project investigating institutional features that influence student success in the introductory mathematics courses that are required of most STEM majors in the United States. We report the viewpoints of departments about characteristics shown to support students' success as well as the extent to which these characteristics are being implemented in programs across the country. We conclude with a discussion of areas where we see the potential for growth and further improvement.

Developing an 'outdoor inspired' indoor experiential mathematics activity

The issue of poor retention and achievement rates is one that plagues many British universities. While well documented and researched, there is still need for innovative practices to address this problem. This article outlines the theoretical underpinning of the Activity Guide, a tool the authors developed to support mathematics departments in order to make the transition to university easier for students and thus increase retention and attainment. Some of the topics covered here include reflective practise, experiential learning and independence; topics adapted from an outdoor frontier education course that had been specifically tailored by the authors to target and develop study skills particularly important for mathematics subjects. To allow for transferability and use by the entire higher education mathematics community the Activity Guide was produced to bring a similar course on university campuses, or even in classrooms, to better cater for resources and the scale the institutions’ facilities allow. The Activity Guide contains all that lecturers will need to plan, set up and deliver a range of activities to their students.

How I Acquired Charisma

This chapter discusses the notion of charisma in mathematics. The word charisma colloquially means a kind of personal magnetism, often mixed with glamour. As in other academic disciplines, charisma brings power in the conventional sense: power to organize one's time, power to set the research agenda, power to attract talented students and to place them in prominent positions, as well as material perks, including the generous salary that helps distinguish a “great job” from a “good job.” Departmental rankings are broadly charisma based, so that a professor at one of the top U.S. mathematics departments will be perceived as charismatic.