Expo Home Page | '99 Program | More Info

Abstracts for Session 10
Saturday, 1:00pm

10A. Susan Holmes, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, How the Internet Changes Our Probability and Statistics Courses [45 min.]
Teaching introductory probability and statistics in college has changed over the last few years in order to adapt to the changing level of computer literacy of our students. Students today think nothing of spending three hours on the web three times a week reviewing the material covered in class, perusing historical references and playing simulation games in order to get a feel for the answers to very difficult probability problems.
 
Whereas previous experiments in using historical references were without success, the fact that students enjoy browsing has wonderful advantages. However, many difficulties have also arisen, and I will mention some of them. For instance, efficiency in terms of the amount of useful material browsed can only be obtained by maintaining lively web repositories from which students are not tempted to stray too much. Also, E-mail has changed the instructor-student relationship. I will discuss the difficulties of the perceived 'anonymity' of e-mail which leads students to waste their time and their instructor's time with e-mail trivia.
Return to program

10B. Rick Armstrong, St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley, St. Louis, MO, A Reform Approach to Business/Survey Calculus [45 min.]
The graphing calculator (TI-82/TI-83) is the tool that allows us to offer a "reform" curriculum in our one-semester Survey Calculus course for business majors. Within the context of business applications, our students interpret the derivative as a rate of change and the definite integral as a "totaling" process. Intrinsic to the revised curriculum, graphing calculators allow students to learn each topic from numerical, graphical, as well as symbolic perspectives. By mid-semester, students begin making the interconnections on their own. Student interest, satisfaction, and success in Survey Calculus have all increased. This presentation will focus the speaker's students' methods of solving typical take-home and exam questions.
Return to program

10C. Shelley Gutierrez, Butler County Community College, El Dorado, KS An On-line Algebra Telecourse Using WebCT [45 min.]
This session will discuss the considerations for putting your mathematics course online. The focus will be on a brand new Intermediate Algebra Online Telecourse offered at Butler County Community College during the Fall 1999 semester. The speaker will demonstrate the online course development tool, WebCT, as well as specific clips of information from her online Intermediate Algebra course syllabus. The speaker will give information about her online discussion group, quizzes, and specific student outcomes for online Intermediate Algebra. Level of expertise expected of students and the EXPO audience: computer literacy with knowledge of the Internet.
Return to program

10D. Elizabeth Appelbaum, Community Liaison for Math - Blue Valley School District, The Function z = yx Graphed with Mathematica, Excel, and Graphing Calculators [1 hr. 30 min.]
Powers are usually presented as an operation on two variables. Paradoxically, they may be easier to understand viewed in three dimensions with z a function of y and x. Restrict the base y to be positive, so that any real number x can be an exponent. The presenter will show and explain how to make the three-dimensional graph with Mathematica. The bizarre behavior near the origin will help students understand why 00 is undefined. Cross sections parallel to the y-axis that are of the form z=yk (power functions). These will be graphed in Mathematica and a graphing calculator. Cross sections parallel to the x-axis that are of the form z=kx (exponential functions). These will be graphed with Excel and a graphing calculator. Also, Excel and Mathematica with be used make level curves, evoking the three-dimensional graph in two dimensions. Participants will manipulate the graphs, using the software. Graphing calculators will be provided for the session, or use your own if you prefer. The presenter will give the participants diskettes and handouts. No technical expertise is necessary to attend the session.
Return to program

10E. Brenda Reed, Lincoln University, Jefferson City, MO, Using The Geometer's SketchPad, Graphing Calculators, and Group Activities to Explore Slope [45 min.]
Developmental Algebra college students often struggle with slope, one of the more important concepts developed in a beginning algebra course. In concert with the NCTM and Crossroads Standards, in furthering conceptual understanding, and in moving away from a purely algorithmic approach, an integrated approach is being used to explore slope using multiple representations. The speaker explores the slope and y-intercept of related lines on the graphing calculator, looks at the traditional approach to slope, utilizes group activities to explore slope as a rate of change using paper and pencil, and concludes with a SketchPad demonstration in which changes in the rise and run and their effect on slope are explored. The SketchPad demonstration will be emphasized.
Return to program

Please report any problems with this page to bennett@math.ksu.edu