Category Archives: Issues in Higher Education

Not-So-Confident Intervals

Here is a test for you. Let’s say 300 mathematicians were polled concerning how many hours of TV they watch per week. What does it mean to say that a 95% confidence interval for the average number of hours of … Continue reading

Posted in Applied Math, Issues in Higher Education, Math Education, Statistics | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Narrowing The Gender Gap

This 3-minute clip of Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson is the kind of thing that might provide just the right bit of encouragement to someone struggling to express their passion for STEM. Neil DeGrasse Tyson Said What He Thinks About Race … Continue reading

Posted in Issues in Higher Education, people in math, women in math | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

My Top Ten Issues in Mathematics Education

What are your “top ten”?  Sue VanHattum, a full time faculty member at Contra Costa College inspired me with her wonderful top ten list . Below are my top ten Issues in Mathematics Education.  While this is my opinion, I do … Continue reading

Posted in Issues in Higher Education, K-12 Mathematics, Math Education, people in math, women in math | 9 Comments

Why Should We Fund Math Research?

As my co-blogger Brie Finegold mentioned last month, Cathy O’Neil of mathbabe.org has been writing about how MOOCs might change the face of math departments and, ultimately, how math research gets funded. O’Neil is concerned that without calculus classes to … Continue reading

Posted in Applied Math, Issues in Higher Education, people in math, Theoretical Mathematics | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Job Security Calculus: Reasoning about our futures

Most academics have a love/hate relationship to teaching, and especially teaching Calculus.  Prior to the first exam of the semester, it seems that everyone in the class is there for learning’s sake, discussing ideas, engaging in problem-solving.  But we worry … Continue reading

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Rankings, Standards, and Inquiry, Oh my!

Ranking As concern for K-12 standards in public education has come to a head,  the quality of teaching and learning in our public universities has also come under public scrutiny.  Recently, President Obama announced that he wanted to rework the … Continue reading

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