Data Structures and Algorithms (DS) is a basic computer science course that is a prerequisite for taking advanced information systems (IS) curriculum courses. The course aims to teach students how to analyze a problem, design a solution, and implement it using pseudocode to construct knowledge and develop the necessary skills for algorithmic…

We describe a lecture-free problem-solving Mathematical Communication and Reasoning (MCR) course that helps students succeed in the Introduction to Advanced Mathematics course. The MCR course integrates elements from Uri Treisman's Emerging Scholars workshop model and Math Circles. In it students solve challenging problems and form a supportive…

Depicting the reason for the mismatch between instructor expectations of students' performance in advanced courses and their actual performance has been a challenging issue for a long time, which raises the question of why such a mismatch exists. An implicit reason for this mismatch is the student's weakness in prerequisite course skills. To solve…

This paper reports on themes that arose in an investigation of university lecturers' views on the teaching of linear algebra. This focus on themes was the initial part of a study concentrating on four areas: What is important to teach in a first course in linear algebra? Are there teaching methods which are particularly suited for such a course?…

From 2012 to 2019, the proportion of undergraduate economics degrees denoted as "Econometrics and Quantitative Economics" (STEM-eligible) conferred annually increased from 1 percent to 22 percent. The authors present results from a survey of the 73 institutions conferring at least one STEM-eligible economics degree in 2017 or 2018. They…

Many have called for improved alignment between high school graduation and college admission requirements. However, few have empirically examined the extent to which courses needed for college admission are not offered by high schools, which I call underalignment. Using high school-level data from the Office for Civil Rights, I examined high…

An ongoing reform programme of the post-16 Advanced "A"-level qualifications in England and Wales means that pre-university mathematics content and assessment will change from 2017. Undergraduate engineering is a subject that relies heavily on mathematics, and applicants to engineering degree programmes in the UK are required to have…

System Dynamics is a required course offered to junior Mechanical Engineering students at Penn State Erie, the Behrend College. It addresses the intercoupling dynamics of a wide range of dynamic systems: including mechanical, electrical, fluid, hydraulic, electromechanical, and biomedical systems. This course is challenging for students due to the…

Formative assessment has long been identified as a critical element to teaching for conceptual development in science. It is therefore important for university instructors to have an arsenal of formative assessment tools at their disposal which enable them to effectively uncover and diagnose all students' thinking, not just the most vocal or…

The UK Government has set a goal that the "vast majority" of students in England will be studying mathematics to the age of 18 by the end of the decade. The policy levers for achieving this goal include new Core Maths qualifications, designed for over 200,000 students who have achieved good grades at the age of 16 but then opt out of…

Math achievement, math self-concept, and vocational interests are critical predictors of STEM careers and are closely linked to high school coursework. Young women are less likely to choose advanced math courses in high school, and encouraging young women to enroll in advanced math courses may therefore bring more women into STEM careers. We…

This article describes a faculty-led, multiyear process of formulating learning objectives and assessing the effectiveness of a foreign language requirement for all College of Arts and Sciences undergraduates at a research university. Three interrelated research questions were addressed: (1) What were the levels and patterns of language courses…

Presents a model that can assess the relative quality of distance education courses by moving the emphasis from student-level data to course-based data. Reports data comparing online and traditional higher education courses covering nine disciplines and explores the usefulness of this framework for identifying discipline-related differences in…

This paper argues that, although the current system of postgraduate-year-one (PGY-1) education for dentists is not promoting reform in licensing practices, the potential remains. Two scenarios, one in which advanced general dentistry remains voluntary and one in which it becomes mandated, are outlined and implications for licensure reform are…

Traces science curriculum development efforts in elementary and secondary schools in Great Britian. Calls for changes in the curriculum so that all students above the age of 16 take science courses. Considers the possible impacts on vocational courses, and on college courses in science, engineering, and teacher education. (TW)