The common denominators: A collaborative approach to teaching reasoning skills through literature and mathematics

At a highly technical institution, this interdisciplinary problem-solving course was designed for students who had been placed on probation or suspended. Two professors, with divergent backgrounds in mathematics and literature, collaborated in the research, planning and teaching. The course stresses the cross-disciplinary applications of tools such as analogy, using a variety of assignments in mathematics, logic and literature. The importance of both ill-structured and well-structured problems is discussed, as is the rationale for including oral presentations, group problems, and a formal debate in the curriculum. The article emphasizes the value of cross-disciplinary collaboration for studentsand faculty, as it presents an approach to teaching reasoning skills that could be applied to a variety of academic settings.She is currently Chairman of the Reading and Writing Department of the Learning Development Center at Rochester Institute of Technology where she also teaches courses in the College of Liberal Arts. She has given professional presentations on teaching interdisciplinary problem solving, using student research to examine ethical issues, and implementing writing across the curriculum. She has also reviewed several contemporary novels and written on the fiction of Henry James.She is currently an assistant professor in the Mathematics Department of the College of Science at Rochester Institute of Technology. She has given numerous presentations at regional and national conferences on interdisciplinary problem solving, mathematical problem solving, using writing to teach mathematics, art and mathematics, and math anxiety. She is Past-President of the New York College Learning Skills Association and a 1983 recipient of the Eisenhart Award for Outstanding Teaching at Rochester Institute of Technology.     

Publication Rates of Molecular Versus Non-Molecular Biologists: A Case Study of Seven Primarily Undergraduate Institutions

At many primarily undergraduate institutions, biology faculty members mentor student research collaborators. If publication is required for tenure and promotion, this research is expected to result in periodic publications; and publication rates are a common metric used to assess faculty productivity. However, we have uncovered a highly significant difference in the time required to publish articles based on biological sub-discipline. It takes, on average, twice as long for molecular biologists to publish articles than scholars from other sub-disciplines in biology. We believe that this analysis can be used to assess whether this phenomenon generalizes to other disciplines and/or other categories of institutions.     

How should I regulate my emotions if I want to run faster?

The present study investigated the effects of emotion regulation strategies on self-reported emotions and 1600?m track running performance. In stage 1 of a three-stage study, participants (N?=?15) reported emotional states associated with best, worst and ideal performance. Results indicated that a best and ideal emotional state for performance composed of feeling happy, calm, energetic and moderately anxious whereas the worst emotional state for performance composed of feeling downhearted, sluggish and highly anxious. In stage 2, emotion regulation interventions were developed using online material and supported by electronic feedback. One intervention motivated participants to increase the intensity of unpleasant emotions (e.g. feel more angry and anxious). A second intervention motivated participants to reduce the intensity of unpleasant emotions (e.g. feel less angry and anxious). In stage 3, using a repeated measures design, participants used each intervention before running a 1600?m time trial. Data were compared with a no treatment control condition. The intervention designed to increase the intensity of unpleasant emotions resulted in higher anxiety and lower calmness scores but no significant effects on 1600?m running time. The intervention designed to reduce the intensity of unpleasant emotions was associated with significantly slower times for the first 400?m. We suggest future research should investigate emotion regulation, emotion and performance using quasi-experimental methods with performance measures that are meaningful to participants.     

Strengthening information literacy in a writing-designated course in the mathematics major

When a campus has not integrated information literacy education into the curriculum, many students will not have the opportunity to learn these necessary skills before they embark on their career paths. This pilot study explores the possibility of teaching information literacy skills to students enrolled in a writing-designated course offered to mathematics majors who are about to complete their undergraduate studies. Outcome-based objective evaluations were used to guide teaching strategies as well as to gauge student progress. Embedded one-on-one consultations were found to be critical in strengthening these students’ information literacy abilities.     

Older and Wiser?: A Comparison of the Learning and Study Strategies of Mature Age and Younger Teacher Education Students

‘Non‐traditional’ students are increasingly a part of university populations. This study examined differences between mature age and younger university students in their learning and study strategies as measured by the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI). Subjects were 21 mature age and 104 younger teacher education students enrolled in The Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) course at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Significant correlations were found between the students' LASSI scores and both their self‐reported level of global skill and their perceptions of how difficult the course was. There were significant differences between the two groups in terms of their learning and study strategies, with mature age students reporting themselves to be using effective strategies more often, on average, than younger students. The validity and implications of these findings in terms of student learning, support and instruction in study and learning and in predicting academic success are discussed.     

Correlates of formal reasoning: Content and problem effects

Piaget's structural theory of formal thought suggests that a general construct of formal reasoning exists. The content of the task and type of problem employed are often ignored in Piagetian based studies but are important for generalizing findings to other studies and to educational problems. The study reported here examines content and problem effects of formal thought in 13-year-old adolescents. Specifically, three controlling variables tasks with different content and two question type tests (analysis and controlling questions) were administered to 120 seventh graders. Ability measures and personality dimensions associated with formal reasoning in the literature are used to clarify what formal reasoning is and how content and problem type are involved in formal reasoning. Significant main effects were found for problem and content effects (p = 0.001), and a significant interaction was found between the two (p = 0.001). Across the three tasks general ability, field dependency, and locus of control were consistently and significantly related to the controlling questions. However, only measures of field dependency were related to the analysis questions. Combinations of ability and personality factors were found to be uniquely related to each task, within each question type. Results have implications for a theory of formal thought and the teaching of the controlling variables strategy.