Math anxiety is an affliction that causes several intelligent students to believe, mistakenly, that they lack the ability to master the subject. Professors are starting to question their teaching tactics in hopes of tackling math anxiety, with some educators looking at ways to make their classes more interactive, while others are considering…

Over the past two decades, calculus reformers have called for the use of alternative pedagogical techniques to promote student learning. Some mathematics instructors have responded by developing a set of student projects intended to hone thinking skills and improve the mathematical writing skills of calculus students. Drawbacks to this strategy…

An aspect of the long history of the struggle to quantify motion is briefly traced through three extended problem sets suitable for use in first year calculus courses. The sketch culminates with an application of simple mathematics to one of the most current problems in the theory of the universe. (Contains 2 figures.)

The focus of this book is on a rationale and a set of strategies for problem generation in mathematics. Six chapters attempt to involve readers in the process of posing problems and in understanding why that process is important. Chapter 1 discusses two problem posing perspectives, while chapter 2 looks at the first phase of problem posing. The…

A collection of brief articles on mathematics and teaching mathematics. (FL)

Proposes methods to teach the more difficult concepts of linear algebra. Examines features of the Linear Algebra Curriculum Study Group Core Syllabus, and presents problems from the core syllabus that utilize the mathematical process skills of making conjectures, proving the results, and communicating the results to colleagues. Presents five…

"Gedankensimulation" is a term adapted from Einstein's "thought experiments" to indicate mentally created simulations that can help conceptualize ideas. Presents seven examples of simulations that can be utilized to solve problems or illustrate concepts in probability and statistics. Problem contexts include games of chance,…