INDEX
MAA MINICOURSES
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December 17, 2003

Minicourses are open only to persons who register for the Joint Meetings and pay the Joint Meetings Registration fee in addition to the appropriate minicourse fee. The MAA reserves the right to cancel any minicourse that is undersubscribed.

Minicourse #1: Designing and Evaluating Assessments for Introductory Statistics, organized by Beth L. Chance and Allan J. Rossman, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; and Robert C. Del Mas, University of Minnesota; Part A: Wednesday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; Part B: Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Statistics teachers find it challenging to construct student assessments that focus on conceptual understanding, allow consistent scoring, and provide informative feedback. Participants will be involved in constructing assessment instruments for use in introductory courses using an online assessment resource, ARTIST, and in evaluating the results. We will discuss guidelines of effective assessment, resources for assessment material categorized by concept and level of difficulty, suggestions for evaluating student performance through examinations and performance assessments, and use of a comprehensive first-course exam. Participants will be invited to pilot items, contribute new items, and share outcome data for comparison across institutions through ARTIST. Cost is $90; enrollment limit is 30.

Minicourse #2: Hands-On Discrete Math with Technology, organized by Douglas E. Ensley and Kate McGiveny, Shippensburg University; Part A: Wednesday, 2:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.; Part B: Friday, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Discrete math is a course that serves students studying math and computer science. The goals for these two disciplines can be different, so the goals for this course are often debated. This minicourse will focus on three particular topics--sets/relations, combinatorics/probability, and writing mathematical proofs--that are common to most discrete math courses. We will use Maple and the TI-83 for the first two topics and simple Flash movies for the third. Some familiarity with Maple syntax and TI calculators is required, but no experience with Flash will be assumed. Cost is $90; enrollment limit is 30.

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Minicourse #3: Computation and Discovery in the Number Theory Classroom, organized by Clifford A. Reiter, Lafayette College; Part A: Wednesday, 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Part B: Friday, 3:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. While proofs remain central to number theory, technology offers opportunities for discovering theorems and investigating conjectures in the number theory classroom. The instructor has developed several J-based computer classroom laboratories which will be shared with participants. No experience with J is expected. Sample lab topics include the sieve of Eratosthenes and twin primes, discovering quadratic reciprocity, public key codes, factoring, and elliptic curves. Participants are expected to share their ideas, reactions, and experiences. Cost is $90; enrollment limit is 30.

Minicourse #4: Java Applets in Teaching Mathematics, organized by Joe Yanik, Emporia State University, and David M. Strong, Pepperdine University; Part A: Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.; Part B: Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. This minicourse will introduce the participants to the Java programming language and its use in creating mathematical activities. No previous experience in Java programming will be assumed. Through the use of a Visual Development Environment and a MathToolkit that was developed with the support of an NSF grant, this hands-on workshop will lead the participants through the creation of some sample applets and introduce them to the MathToolkit. In addition, they will be provided with a more complete tutorial that they can take home that will teach them the Java programming language and its use in creating mathematical applets. Cost is $90; enrollment limit is 30.

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Minicourse #5: Visual Linear Algebra, organized by Eugene A. Herman, Grinnell College; Michael D. Pepe, Seattle Central Community College; and Eric P. Schulz, Walla Walla Community College, Part A: Thursday, 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.; Part B: Saturday, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. This minicourse will introduce participants to a new, visual approach to teaching linear algebra. The primary objective is to create a dynamic learning environment in which students are actively engaged in learning the central concepts of linear algebra. Course materials cover the entire first course in linear algebra; they stress the development of visualization skills to acquire strong geometric intuition. Participants will have the option of working with the materials in Maple, Mathematica, or webMathematica. Cost is $90; enrollment limit is 30. N.B. Those interested must register in advance; there is no on-site registration for this minicourse.

Minicourse #6: Using Interactive Labs to Explore Abstract Algebra Topics, organized by Allen C. Hibbard, Central College, and Kenneth M. Levasseur, University of Massachusetts at Lowell; Part A: Thursday, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.; Part B: Saturday, 3:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. Using Mathematica, participants will become engaged in examining interactive laboratory activities focusing on groups, rings, and morphisms. The notebooks, designed for exploration and investigation of these structures, are intended to expand upon or motivate classroom discussions. No programming with Mathematica is necessary (though minimal familiarity with the software is helpful) since packages are imported that define the required functionality. A CD with our packages and notes will be distributed. (On Thursday, 12:30 p.m. to 1:15 p.m., there will be a preliminary session available to acquaint those unfamiliar with Mathematica.) Go to http://www.central.edu/eaam/ for more information. Cost is $90; enrollment limit is 30.

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Minicourse #7: SOLD OUT Origami in Undergraduate Mathematics Courses, organized by Thomas C. Hull, Merrimack College; Part A: Wednesday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; Part B: Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Those who have studied origami may have unfolded their creations and marveled at the pattern of creases in the paper that result. Lovely mathematics, from geometry, combinatorics, and algebra lurks behind these creases. This material is easily understood by undergraduate majors, leads to numerous open questions, and offers a great opportunity for hands-on, discovery-based learning. This workshop will offer participants hands-on experience with the main areas of "origami-math" (modular origami, geometric constructions, and combinatorial modeling) to incorporate into their own classes. Experience either in paperfolding or in teaching geometry, algebra, or combinatorics would be useful. Cost is $70; enrollment limit is 30.

SOLD OUT

Minicourse #8: Some Mathematics of Leonhard Euler, organized by William W. Dunham, Muhlenberg College, and Edward C. Sandifer, Western Connecticut State University; Part A: Wednesday, 2:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.; Part B: Friday, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Euler wrote and published over 850 books and papers. They form the basis for huge segments of modern mathematics. We will survey his many contributions and take a close look at a few of them. We will demonstrate how to use Euler's 18thcentury mathematics in a 21st-century environment, and we will show by example why Laplace was giving good advice when he said, "Read Euler, read Euler. He is the master of us all." Cost is $60; enrollment limit is 60.

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Minicourse #9: PMET (Preparing Mathematicians to Educate Teachers): Grades 7­12, organized by Holly Hirst, Appalachian State University, and Jack Y. Narayan, SUNY College at Oswego; Part A: Wednesday, 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Part B: Friday, 3:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. What background does a mathematician need in order to teach mathematics courses for future teachers? This is the question being addressed by the PMET initiative funded by NSF and MAA. This minicourse will provide anoverview of the initiative and will share videos, hands-on activities, presentations, and discussions related to teaching prospective middle grades and secondary teachers. Participants will also learn about resources that PMET has developed as well as programs planned for the future. Cost is $60; enrollment limit is 60.

Minicourse #10: Teaching Linear Algebra with Applications, organized by Gilbert Strang, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Part A: Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; Part B: Thursday, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Linear algebra is a crucial subject in the teaching and applications of mathematics. We hope to suggest new ideas in its presentation. Among those ideas is a range of problemswhose exploration (by hand and mind, not by computer) will lead us to the major themes of linear algebra. The pure and applied parts of this subject will be intertwined in the minicourse, as they are in reality. In a way, the minicourse itself will try to show the fascination of teaching and learning and using linear algebra. The problems will be distributed (with some solutions!), and we describe our use of the course page, web.mit.edu/18.06/www, and of computing, all open for discussion. Cost is $60; enrollment limit is 60.

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Minicourse #11: Developing Your Department's Assessment Plan, organized by William G. Marion, Valparaiso University, and Bonnie Gold, Monmouth University; Part A: Thursday, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.; Part B: Saturday, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Most universities and, thus, individual departments are under pressure from accrediting agencies to develop and implement assessment plans to assess student learning. During the minicourse pairs (or larger groups) of members of a mathematical sciences department will develop, in workshop format, a proposed departmental mission statement and the skeleton of its individualized assessment plan. Sample assessment programs (developed by teams of mathematics faculty under the auspices of the MAA's NSF-funded assessment project, Supporting Assessment in Undergraduate Mathematics) will be discussed, and participants will share ideas with groups from similar departments to develop their own program. Cost is $60; enrollment limit is 60.

Minicourse #12: Incorporating Discrete Mathematics in the Preparation of K­12 Mathematics Teachers, organized by Lolina Alvarez, New Mexico State University; Part A: Wednesday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; Part B: Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. More than a fixed set of topics, discrete mathematics is a way of thinking that deals with important and interesting problems in contemporary mathematics. Using some of these problems as starting points, we will expose, at different levels of sophistication, the mathematics of each situation. We will emphasize the interplay between mathematical content and methods of teaching and learning, and the insertion in the school curriculum of topics from discrete mathematics. Each
participant will receive a collection of materials, including ready-to-use assignments. Cost is $60; enrollment limit is 60.

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Minicourse #13: The Fibonacci and Catalan Numbers, organized by Ralph P. Grimaldi, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Part A: Wednesday, 2:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.; Part B: Friday, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. In introductory courses in discrete or combinatorial mathematics one encounters the Fibonacci numbers and sometimes the Catalan numbers. This minicourse will review and then extend this first encounter as it examines some of the properties these numbers exhibit as well as applications where these sequences arise. A survey of applications dealing with chemistry, physics, computer science, linear algebra, set theory, graph theory, and number theory will show why these sequences are of interest and importance. Cost is $60; enrollment limit is 60.

Minicourse #14: Introduction to Mathematical Card Tricks, organized by Colm K. Mulcahy and Jeffrey A. Ehme, Spelman College; Part A: Wednesday, 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Part B: Friday, 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Card tricks liven up any gathering--including mathematics classes--and can help to convince people that math is fun and that there is a rational explanation for some seemingly impossible events. This interactive introduction to mathematical card tricks will survey applications of permutations, binary and ternary numbers, probability and more, and will feature classic tricks based on the Gilbreath principle and faro shuffle. Cost is $60; enrollment limit is 60.

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Minicourse #15: Fair Enough? Mathematics of Equity, organized by John C. Maceli and Stanley E. Seltzer, Ithaca College; Part A: Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; Part B: Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Topics of fairness make terrific subject matter for a contemporary mathematics course. This minicourse introduces some fairness topics--apportionment, voting power, elections, fair allocation and equity, the census--with the goals of helping participants learn about these topics, see and use activities that support a course in fairness, and prepare to teach such a course. We will provide sample activities, projects, and a list of resources, including original papers accessible to undergraduates. Active participation is expected. Cost is $60; enrollment limit is 60.

Minicourse #16: Getting Students Involved in Undergraduate Research, organized by Aparna W. Higgins, University of Dayton, and Joseph A. Gallian, University of Minnesota, Duluth; Part A: Thursday, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.; Part B: Saturday, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. This course will cover many aspects of facilitating research by undergraduates, such as finding appropriate problems, deciding how much help to provide, and presenting and publishing the results. Examples will be presented of research in summer programs and research that can be conducted during the academic year. Although the examples used will be primarily in the area of discrete mathematics, the strategies discussed can be applied to any area of mathematics. Cost is $60; enrollment limit is 60.

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