Describes the use of spreadsheets in a third grade class to teach basic mathematical concepts by investigating the existence of vampires. Incorporates addition and multiplication skills, patterning, variables, formulas, exponential growth, and proof by contradiction. (LRW)

Many common objects can provide numerous opportunities for students to develop mathematical concepts and skills. The lesson described in this article provided an excellent opportunity for middle school students to discover how real-life situations do not always present obvious "right" answers. As students explored a question related to the…

We present a summary of a study carried out with students of the first year of Bachillerato (the first of two pre-university non-obligatory secondary education courses in Spain) to determine and analyse some of their errors and difficulties in learning inequalities with the aim of improving the teaching-learning process of this topic. The study…

Research in goal theory has often relied on the general linear model, ignoring some central assumptions of the theoretical framework under investigation. The purpose of the two studies reported here was to illustrate how the Rasch model can supplement traditional statistical analyses when evaluating the effects of goal orientations on persistence.…

Challenging problems can make mathematics more attractive to all learners, including the gifted. Application problems that one still finds in regular textbooks often can be resolved by applying a single mathematical concept, operation, or formula. These problems do not require a higher order of thinking. They are, therefore, less cognitively and…

This document consists of the two numbers of "The AMATYC Review" issued during publication year 1991-1992. The following articles are featured: (1) "Educational Reflections" (D. A. Crocker); (2) "Mathematics: An International View" (I. Malyshev, J. R. Becker, editors); (3) "Pandora's Rectangular Parallelepiped" (L. R. Tanner, editor); (4) "The…

The elements of statistical formulae that cause people to perceive them as difficult were studied, working from theoretical bases that involve cognitive load, motivational perception, and impasse driven learning. In a pilot study conducted to identify difficulties that novices perceive while learning statistical formulae, 22 students in an…

The need for a system of price indexes for colleges and universities is discussed. First, past efforts to develop price indexes are reviewed, dating back to 1952 and highlighting two specific indexes, the Higher Education Price Index (HEPI) and the Uniform Price Index Calculation System (UPICS). For the latter, the price indexes of direct costs…

This paper consists of results of a state survey and case studies of Minnesota and Massachusetts, two states with recent histories in implementing tuition formulas. Both case studies are discussed within the context of state fiscal conditions and appropriations. The survey revealed that 16 states are attempting to establish an enduring rationale…

This study used species diversity indices developed in ecology as a measure of socioethnic diversity, and compared them to Coleman's Index of Segregation. The twelve indices were Simpson's Concentration Index ("ell"), Simpson's Index of Diversity, Hurlbert's Probability of Interspecific Encounter (PIE), Simpson's Probability of…

This paper presents an application of integration to the field of hydraulics. An integral relation for the time required to drop the fluid contained in a cylindrical tank from one level to another using a hole in the tank wall is derived. Procedures for constructing the experimental equipment and procedures for determining the coefficient of…

The advent of calculators for graphing and function plotters is changing the way college algebra and calculus are taught. This paper illustrates how the machines are used for teaching the following: (1) domain and range; (2) product and quotient inequalities; and (3) the solving of equations. Instructional hints are provided for each topic with…

These materials are intended to provide meaningful mathematical experiences for pre-algebra students. These experiences emphasize the development of computational skills, mathematical concepts, and problem-solving techniques. This bulletin may be used as the basis for the first term of a one-year course. The complete course is divided into 12…

Designed to accompany the videotape, "Finance of California Community Colleges," this workbook contains information, worksheets, and forms designed to help viewers assimilate the videotape's presentations on the history and future of California community college finance, and on income and expenditures in community college budgets. First,…

Basic concepts in long- and short-term financing of real estate property are discussed in this text for real estate personnel. Two of the more important of these are leverage, the relationship between the return received by the equity and mortgage investors, and risk, the assessment of the probability that all or part of the investment may be…