University of Northern Iowa – Progress Report
- Principal Investigator: Diane Thiessen
- Topic of Minigrant: Course Revision of "Mathematics for Decision Making" Designed for Elementary Education Majors
- Duration of Minigrant: December 15, 2004 - December 15, 2005
- Date for Visit by PMET Monitor, given by PI: Fall semester: A Th-F visit would work well , second choice Tuesday-Wednesday. Sandy Ubben teaches one of the sections from 12:30 - 1:45 T Th; Thom Kline teaches a section at 12 MWF. Dates to avoid: September 24, 28; October 18-22; November 2, 11-13 Spring semester. Avoid March 14-18 as that is spring break. We do not know course offerings for Spring 05.
Activities and Progress
At the University of Northern Iowa, a special section of the Liberal Arts Core course, Mathematics for Decision Making, commonly taken by elementary education majors, was redesigned for elementary education majors. A section (16 students) was taught Spring 2004 by Sandy Ubben and two sections (30 students each) are being taught Fall 2004 by Sandy Ubben and Thom Kline. A one-page flyer was created to advertise the course. In order to meet the broad goals of the Liberal Arts Core requirement - one that continues to teach "quantitative techniques and understanding" - but at the same time utilizes examples and content appropriate for elementary education majors, materials developed at the Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Education at San Diego State University were selected. By using pedagogy consistent with reform efforts, we hope to encourage prospective elementary teachers to view learning mathematics as a "sense-making" activity. Selected units from Reconceptualizing Mathematics: Courseware for Elementary and Middle Grade Teachers include the following:
- Quantitative Reasoning ( What Is a Quantity?, Quantitative Analysis, Additive Combinations and Comparisons, Multiplicative Comparisons as a Measure)
- Uncertainty and Its Quantifications (Methods of Assigning Probabilities,Simulating Probabilistic Situations, Determining More Complicated Theoretical Probabilities, Conditional Probability)
- Collecting, Representing, and Interpreting Data (Sampling: The Why and the How, Measuring Group Characteristics, Graphical Representations of Data from One Variable, Examining the "Spreadoutness" of Data, Average Rates and Spread)
Preliminary data were collected for the Spring 2004 Semester. For student content learning, there were 17 common questions on the final examination for the section designed for elementary majors and two of the other 800:023 sections. A pre and post survey was given to all sections of Mathematics for Decision Making to assess student viewpoints of "what is mathematics". In developing the special section of Mathematics for Decision Making, we communicated with the following groups: mathematics faculty teaching 800:023, Liberal Art's Core Committee, the Head of the Curriculum and Instruction Department, College of Education Advising Center, and NIAAC, an area community college.
- The mathematics faculty teaching 800:023 shared syllabi and course goals as well as participated in giving a beliefs survey to their sections.
- Liberal Art's Core Committee was consulted to inform them of what we were planning and to seek their advice and counsel.
- Rick Traw, the Head of the Curriculum and Instruction Department, encouraged us to provide this opportunity as he supports our concerns regarding mathematics preparation of elementary education majors at UNI.
- The College of Education Advising Center was most helpful in publicizing the special section. The COE Advisors discussed the course and distributed the one-page flyer in individual and group advising sessions this past spring and summer. They have also advised us on how many students at UNI would/will be eligible for this section.
- Information has been shared with Northern Iowa Area Community College to facilitate transfer of course credit as they create a second mathematics content course for elementary majors.
Diane Thiessen, Diane. Thiessen@uni.edu, Mathematics Educator
Project Director;
Suzanne Riehl, Suzanne.Riehl@uni.edu, Mathematician Project Director Mathematics
Department, University of Northern Iowa