Minicourses

Minicourses are highly interactive sessions designed in a two-part workshop format focusing on specific aspects of collegiate mathematics, the undergraduate curriculum, and mathematical pedagogy. These courses are taught by experts in the field, with two hours dedicated to each section.
Separate registration and fee is required. Space is limited.

How to Write an Excellent Expository Article in Mathematics

Part A: Friday, August 4, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., Room 107
Part B: Saturday, August 5, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., Room 107

Have you ever wanted to write an expository paper in mathematics? Following the four BASE pillars of writing outlined by Helen Sword, this workshop-style mini-course will help participants shape their mathematical ideas into a cogent paper for a journal that values exposition. The mini-course will include sessions to assess your writing and develop skills and strategies that will improve both your writing and your writing practice. The mini-course will provide dedicated time to work on your own manuscript, and offer opportunities to cultivate healthy social writing practices. Participants need to bring ideas for a paper, either in the form of the first draft of a manuscript or in pitch form, and a laptop.

Organizers:
Della Dumbaugh, University of Richmond; Editor, American Mathematical Monthly
Tom Edgar, Pacific Lutheran University; Editor, Math Horizons
 

Visualizing Projective Geometry Through Photographs and Perspective Drawings

Part A: Thursday, August 3, 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Room 117
Part B: Friday, August 4, 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m., Room 107

Hands-on, practical art puzzles inspire the mathematics of projective geometry---the study of properties invariant under projective transformations. We explore activities in perspective art or photography that motivate concepts in projective geometry, including Desargues' Theorem and numerical projective invariants. Activities in problem solving and proof are suitable for a sophomore-level proofs class. No artistic experience is required.

Organizer:
Annalisa Crannell, Franklin & Marshall College
Fumiko Futamura, Southwestern University

Sponsor:
SIGMAA on Mathematics and the Arts (SIGMAA ARTS)

An Introduction to Becoming a Math JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion)

Part A: Thursday, August 3, 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Room 105
Part B: Saturday, August 5, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., Room 105

Making the mathematical and statistical sciences communities more inclusive requires their members to understand why and how to bring about improvements in justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) in their workplaces. They can then become JEDI resources in their departments, institutions, and disciplines; and at other institutions as they serve as external program reviewers, and for programs such as those funded by workforce grants. This minicourse will interactively explore topics related to JEDI including (1) diving deeply into the necessity and viability of attending to JEDI issues in mathematical and statistical sciences classrooms, departments, and other spaces, (2) examining promising and successful policies, practices, and programs or their components that foster diversity and inclusion, and (3) exploring examples of potential initiatives that math and stats departments could begin to help improve their JEDI efforts.

Organizers:
Aris Winger, Georgia Gwinnett College
Abbe Herzig, Transforming Post-Secondary Education in Mathematics (TPSE Math)
Michael Dorff, Transforming Post-Secondary Education in Mathematics (TPSE Math)/Brigham Young University
 

The i Road to Upper-Level Undergraduate Mathematics

Part A: Thursday, August 3, 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m., Room 107
Part B: Friday, August 4, 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Room 105

A transition/proofs course exploring complex numbers opens doors to upper-level topics while deepening understanding of earlier material. Much looks familiar but requires careful reasoning. Complex-valued polynomials, rational functions, and basic transcendentals provide compelling content. Student experience with functions, visualization, sense-making, problem solving, working with definitions, proving, and connecting to prior knowledge all build “mathematical maturity”. Content options abound; instructors can flexibly adjust to student interests and experience. Students encounter examples of analytic and algebraic objects for later use and the content naturally supports a variety of teaching styles. Participants will engage with student-level materials and discuss instructor-level issues.

Participants may want to bring laptops, but no special software will need to be installed in advance. Written minicourse materials will be provided electronically, in advance.

Organizers:
Paul Zorn, St. Olaf College
Bob Sachs, George Mason University
 

Teaching Single Variable Calculus with Active Calculus and Runestone

Part A: Thursday, August 3, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., Room 105
Part B: Friday, August 4, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., Room 105

Active Calculus (AC) (http://gvsu.edu/s/29b) is a free, open textbook that engages students through an activity-driven approach. Runestone is free, open courseware (http://gvsu.edu/s/29c) that helps students actively engage with the textbook and helps instructors better understand their students’ learning. Participants will experience learning and teaching with AC on Runestone and see how Runestone may replace the need for a separate online homework system. Participants will leave the workshop with the expertise to teach a course with AC on Runestone and should bring a laptop with internet connection.

Organizers:
Matt Boelkins, Grand Valley State University
Chrissy Safranski, Franciscan University
 

Jumpstarting Your Scholarship

Part A: Friday, August 4, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., Room 108/109
Part B: Saturday, August 5, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., Room 108/109

This two-day workshop focuses on developing strategies to establish your research agenda and to pursue funding and support for this agenda. During one session, we will discuss numerous aspects of a scholarship program, including how to find possible problems and collaborators, presenting your research, writing up your results, and getting your work published. We will also spend time setting goals and priorities for the upcoming year or two and make a plan for how to achieve those goals. The other session will feature an overview of the NSF, consisting of an introduction to programs that support both research in the mathematical sciences and innovations in learning and teaching together with tips for writing strong proposals. Both days will provide plenty of time for questions and discussion.

Organizers:
Nancy Ann Neudauer, MAA Associate Secretary/Pacific University
Adriana Salerno, California State University, Bates College

An Introduction to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Part A: Thursday, August 3, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., Room 107
Part B: Friday, August 4, 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Room 107

In this 4-hour session, we will provide a provisional definition of SoTL and the kinds of questions it has historically answered. We will then ask you to envision, in small groups, a set of questions that you would like to answer in your own context(s). Refining these questions will lead to the idea of a study design. We will conclude with principles for good study design and resources for further study.

Organizer:
Yvonne Lai, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

The Who, Why, and How of Undergraduate Research in Math

Part A:Friday, August 4, 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m., Room 108/109
Part B: Saturday, August 5, 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m., Room 108/109

This Mini Course will be an open discussion on undergraduate research in mathematics. From why and how to do it, to where to find, or come up with, good accessible problems, we will discuss our experiences and come up with a plan to be implemented the following academic year. This will be a hands on, active learning workshop and attendants will be expected to work.

Organizers:
Alicia Prieto-Langarica, Youngstown State University
Cynthia Wyels, California State University Channel Islands

Supporting Active Learning with Technology

Part A:Thursday, August 3, 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Room 107
Part B: Friday, August 4, 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Room 108/109

How might technology improve the classroom experience, especially an inquiry-oriented or otherwise active classroom? In this minicourse, we'll take an active approach to survey a variety of ways you might use technology in your classes. We'll discuss when technology can be helpful, what one might consider before bringing it into the classroom, and ideas for using technology outside of the classroom.

Organizer:
Justin Dunmyre, Frostburg State University

Please note: All sessions are listed in Eastern Daylight Time (EDT = UTC-4:00)