CRMSE Colloquia
Upcoming CRMSE Colloquia
Click on colloquia titles to download flyers.
All in-person colloquia are held in Suite 128, 6475 Alvarado Rd., unless otherwise noted. (Suite 218 is at the same address.)
Debra Carney (Colorado School of Mines) Abstract: In this presentation, I’ll talk briefly about my path to a teaching faculty position in the Applied Mathematics and Statistics AMS Department at the Colorado School of Mines (Mines), describe the teaching faculty position and the supportive culture around teaching at Mines, and discuss three recent SoTL projects. The Colorado School of Mines is a medium-sized public R1 research university located in Golden, Colorado that is focused on science and engineering. Every undergraduate student at Mines takes the three-course calculus sequence (I, II, and III) and ordinary differential equations as required courses. The SoTL projects that I will describe in this talk will include: (1) a team-based approach to developing a partially flipped linear algebra class; (2) a calculus II course redesign and supporting faculty through pedagogical change; and (3) a study of course coordination in the AMS department. The first two projects on linear algebra and calculus II have resulted in PRIMUS (Problems, Resources, and Issues in Undergraduate Studies) publications, and the third project on coordination is still in progress.
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Nate Brown (Penn State University) Abstract: I'm a theoretical mathematician by training, but in 2016 a stunning paper convinced me to learn about education research. Specifically, (in)equity-in- education research. In this talk I'll discuss my journey, including a few of the many challenges, and describe the development of a measure of inclusive instructor behaviors in undergraduate math classes. |
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Recent CRMSE Colloquia
Lena Wessel (Paderborn University, Germany) Abstract: Pre-service teachers often see little to no relevance in their mathematical content courses for their future mathematics teaching. Looking at the situation in Germany, content courses often get poor evaluations and students drop out from mathematics teachers’ programs especially for high school level. In order to make mathematics teaching more meaningful for students, course designers currently put huge development efforts in their teaching designs and suggest “bridging courses” or “bridging tasks” for making more explicit how abstract university mathematics relates to the future mathematics teaching. So far, however, the thereby initiated learning processes are still highly under-researched. This is why we draw on a topic-specific design research approach and apply a framework of “knowledge reshaping” for also taking into account the initiated learning processes. In the talk, I will show how we formulated our design principles and give insights into the teaching material which was tested in laboratory design experiments with future teachers in their master’s program. First results of in-depth analyses of the learning processes will be presented and discussed.
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Gena Sbelglia (CRMSE, SDSU) Abstract: Undergraduate biology education needs to change if we are going to improve learning outcomes, meet the needs of diverse learners, and inspire a future generation of scientists that are representative of the nation. Achieving this change requires the integration of measurement, cognition, curriculum design, and equity-aligned frameworks. In this talk, I provide an overview of my work on biology thinking and learning and discuss how I leverage this work to improve outcomes in gateway biology.
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Mogege Mosimege (University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa) Abstract: Research on Ethnomathematics and its use in the teaching and learning of mathematics has been conducted over the past 40 years. The results of many of these studies indicate that students (learners) in mathematics classrooms find the use of ethnomathematical approaches helpful in the understanding of various mathematics concepts. Some of the results of the studies indicate that even though there is increasing evidence of the usefulness and importance of ethnomathematical activities and approaches, some of the teachers are struggling to integrate such approaches in their classroom practices. This talk covers the following:
Profile: Mogege Mosimege is currently working as a Professor of Mathematics Education and the ETDP SETA Research Chair in Mathematics Education at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa. He served as the Head of the School of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Technology Education in the Faculty of Education from 2019 to March 2022. He has also worked as Chief Research Specialist and Director of Research at the Human Sciences Research Council and University Registrar at the University of South Africa. He holds and MA in Mathematics Education from Eastern Illinois University, an MSc in Science Education from Wits University, and a PhD in Mathematics Education from the University of the Western Cape. His Research interests are: Ethnomathematics, Mathematical Modeling, Assessment in Mathematics, and Indigenous Knowledge Systems.
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Miranda Parker (SDSU / CRMSE) Abstract: In this talk, I provide an overview of the computing education landscape and motivate why we should make computer science more accessible to all students. I present the various ways that I work towards this goal in my research, including increasing access, improving assessments, and supporting positive outcomes in the classroom. I provide a primer for understanding computer science education research, highlighting key findings while also tying in my own research. By the end of this presentation, audience members should be able to walk away with examples of what computer science and computer science education research are and why they are valuable here and now.
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Stacey Zimmerman (Virginia Commonwealth University) Abstract: A teacher’s mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) has been shown to be a significant factor in predicting student outcomes and positively related to the quality of mathematics instruction. Yet researchers have almost exclusively focused on elementary teachers’ MKT, leaving very little understanding of MKT for secondary teachers. In this talk, Dr. Zimmerman will present her findings from an exploratory, multi-case design study that investigated the realms of knowledge used by expert mathematics educators when engaging with student quadratic function work. Findings from the study specifically address the nature of secondary MKT for teaching quadratics while study approaches address engagement with student written work and the needed assimilation of MKT research to advance secondary MKT understanding.
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David Fifty (Oregon State University) Abstract: Traditionally, post-secondary developmental mathematics courses have strived to equip students with mathematical content knowledge needed to succeed in subsequent STEM courses. However, it is critical that such emphasis be coupled with deliberate attention to developing higher-order skills such as argumentation, reasoning, and flexibility in mathematics problem-solving. In this talk, I will share some of the findings of my mixed-methods dissertation project that incorporated a semester-long teaching experiment which aimed to support students' development of higher-order skills by utilizing instructional interventions to facilitate more productive mathematical engagement. Engagement was then characterized by the classroom norms that evolved over the course of the semester. Results show that deliberate attention towards negotiating productive classroom norms and students' in-class engagement can positively affect students' attitudes towards flexible knowledge in mathematics problem solving. This project also highlights the perpetuation of students' beliefs (some of which were unproductive) and their influence on the development of classroom norms. The talk will illustrate this study's contribution to furthering the theoretical relationships between classroom norms, and make suggestions for the practice of teaching developmental mathematics courses.
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Charles Wilkes II (SDSU / CRMSE) Abstract: The talk addresses the question “How do Black learners describe what it means to be smart in a summer mathematics program." The study is a multi-case study of 5 fifth-grade Black learners. In the talk I describe both the different conceptions learners had as well as the complexity of those conceptions. Implications of these work include methodological considerations for capturing student’s conceptions (epistemology) and the heterogeneity within studying Black learners. Charles Wilkes is a postdoctoral researcher at CRMSE working on the Math Persistence through Inquiry and Equity (MPIE) project. His work focuses on the experiences of Black learners in mathematics and equitable teaching practices. Specifically, his work has focused on Black learners’ conceptions of smartness, how Black learners are positioned in mathematics courses, and how teachers signal messages about smartness through their practice.
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Past CRMSE Colloquia
Click on colloquia titles to download abstracts. Click on the links below the entries for Josephine Relaford-Doyle & Rafael Núñez, Saúl Maldonado & Melissa Navarro, Leslie Banes, and Judit Moschkovich to view the videos of their talks.
Ximena Cid (CSU Dominguez Hills) The Demographics of PER: Where We Are At and What Needs To Change Friday, March 26, 2021, 11:30 AM-12:30 PM. Webinar via Zoom |
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Melissa Navarro (SDSU / CRMSE) Critical Science: Decolonizing Science Education with Bilingual Students and Teachers Friday, December 4, 2020, 12:00-1:00 PM. Webinar via Zoom |
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Kathleen Schenkel (SDSU / CRMSE) Exploring Student's Authority in Science Classrooms Through Participatory Planning and Learning Friday, October 30, 2020, 12:00-1:00 PM. Webinar via Zoom |
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