_______________________________________________________________________________
 
Subject: Report of NSF Undergraduate Hearings
 
This message was sent to the members of the American Mathematical Society's
Committee on Education and was forwarded to me.  In view of our conversation
with the review team **and** the pending selection of a mathematics educator
to replace Debbie, I thought the Mathematics Education Committee would be
interested in the observations it contains.
 
Bob
==============================
>
>
>TO:       COE
>
>FROM:     Sam Rankin
>
>SUBJECT:  Report on NSF Undergraduate Hearings
>
>
>
>The NSF DUE review hearings took place on October 23, October 25,
>and November 1.  The first day was dedicated to presentations by
>representatives from science, mathematics, engineering, and
>technology.  College/University administrators  (presidents, vice
>presidents, chancellors) gave testimony on the second day and
>representatives from business/industry made presentations on the
>third day.  The ILI program was the NSF program cited most often for
>enhancing undergraduate science, mathematics, engineering,and
>technology education.
>
>Alan Tucker gave the presentation for mathematics.  His testimony
>was very enthusiastic and was received well by the panel.  He
>used several vignettes to indicate changes taking place in
>undergraduate education within the mathematics community. The
>panel seemed to think the mathematics community has made great
>progress and several times indicated what is happening in
>mathematics is a model for other disciplines.
>
>Several themes were prevalent in all of the testimonies:
>
>*  First year students are entering college under-prepared.
>
>*  K-12 education needs more assistance from and connection to
>   higher education.
>
>*  More interaction between academe and business/industry
>   is needed.
>
>*  Faculty should understand how business/industry are using
>   graduates of their programs.
>
>*  Students need undergraduate educations that will enable them
>   to be more flexible.  Such programs should include:
>
>         development of communication skills;
>
>         experience working in teams/groups to solve problems;
>
>         curricula which will increase students' critical thinking
>         skills;
>
>         interdisciplinary curricula.
>
>*  Faculty should have more cross disciplinary interaction.
>
>*  College/Universities should continually review and evaluate
>   their undergraduate programs and curricula to validate
>   effectiveness.
>
>*  Graduate teaching assistants should be given more preparation and
>   quidance in teaching.
>
>*  Faculty must think of new ways of teaching in order to meet
>   the demands and needs of a changing student population.  Several
>   times it was suggested that faculty should become more of a "coach."
>
>*  Science, mathematics, engineering, and technology faculty
>   should make efforts to connect their instructional activities
>   to what is known about student learning.
>
>*  New assessment tools that match new pedagogical methods are
>   required for assessing and evaluating student performance.
>
>*  Colleges/Universities should reward and recognize faculty for
>   educational innovation.
>
>*  Colleges/Universities must set up infrastructures which will
>   facilitate and support educational innovation.
>
>*  The integration of technology into the science, mathematics,
>   and engineering educational programs is and will remain
>   important.
>
>*  College/Universities must address the issues related to
>   increasing the participation of women and minorities in
>   science, mathematics, engineering, and technology education.
>
>
>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Judy Roitman, Math, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66049, 913-864-4630
 
 
 ===============================================================================