From:  David Kullman
 
To:      Members of the Math Education Committee
 
The student and instructor surveys concerning the effectiveness of
MTH 115 and 117 in meeting Miami Plan Foundation goals have been
tabulated and summarized.  Overall, the students tended to give high
marks to these courses, but there are some areas for improvement.
 
For example:
    1.  Many students do not believe that the courses improved their
         sense of self confidence in mathematics.
    2.  Students, by and large, are not seeing much of the historical
         development of mathematics in these courses.
    3.  In some sections, cooperative learning in small groups has
         evidently been almost nonexistent.
    4.  Students in EDT 318 were less positive about these courses
         than were the students in MTH 116 or 218 at the time of the
         survey.  (Absence does NOT make the heart grow fonder.)
 
Lee Sanders and I will draft a report for the committee to consider
early in the fall.  It should then go to the Undergraduate Committee
of the Math-Stat Dept. and, eventually, to the Liberal Education
Council.  If you would like a copy  of the survey results before
then, please let me know.