Algebra has been identified as a gatekeeper to careers in STEM, but little research exists on how algebra appears for practitioners in the workplace. Surveys and interviews were conducted with 77 STEM practitioners from a variety of fields, examining how they reported using algebraic functions in their work. Survey and interview reports suggest…

The widely used Draw a Scientist Test was revised to focus on statistics and 110 Elementary Statistics students were asked to draw a statistician. In addition, to better understand students' drawings and have some relative comparison, 173 College Algebra students were asked to draw a mathematician. A detailed analysis of students' images and…

This paper compares the effectiveness of contextualized developmental intermediate algebra to the more traditional developmental intermediate algebra approach, for students at two community college campuses located in two counties in the Pacific Northwest. We assessed four student outcome measures of effectiveness: likelihood of passing algebra,…

Since 1973, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has gathered information about student achievement in mathematics. Results of these periodic assessments, produced in print and web-based formats, provide valuable information to a wide variety of audiences. They inform citizens about the nature of students' comprehension of the…

Recognizing the differences between three discrete distributions (Binomial, Hypergeometric and Negative Binomial) can be challenging for students. We present an activity designed to help students differentiate among these distributions. In addition, we present assessment results in the form of pre- and post-tests that were designed to assess the…

This article discusses an activity designed to encourage writing to learn in mathematics. There were three stages of data collection. An assessment, requiring basic algebra only, was completed by 118 undergraduates from statistics and calculus courses. Students were given summaries of all participant responses, along with the correct answers.…

This item bank was compiled by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to help teachers at the secondary school level construct objective tests in mathematics. The multiple-choice items were written by teachers who attended ACER writing workshops. The questions are classified according to their subject content and the cognitive…

This document offers instructional materials for a 60-hour course on math operations involving decimals, fractions, proportions, statistics, probability, measurement, geometry, and linear algebra as applied in the workplace. The course was part of a workplace literacy project developed by Mercer County Community College (New Jersey) and its…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reports on the status and progress of educational achievement in the United States. Based on its surveys, "The Nation's Report Card" provides comprehensive information about what students in the United States can do in various subject areas. The framework for the 1990 mathematics…

In an effort to increase faculty use and knowledge of computers, Oakland Community College (OCC), in Michigan, developed a Summer Technology Institute (STI), and a Computer Technology Grants (CTG) project beginning in 1989. The STI involved 3-day forums during summers 1989, 1990, and 1991 to expose faculty to hardware and software applications.…