Moderator names listed by room below the table.
(You may sort by room or by time of presentation.)| Time | Room | Title and speaker | Abstract |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:20 | LBJSC 3-10.1 | Projecting the Incoming Fall 2024 Cohort through Machine Learning Scott Cook Tarleton State University | University leaders across Texas are struggling to accurately project total size, course enrollments, housing demand, demographic characteristics, academic preparedness, and other attributes of their incoming Fall 2024 cohort. Tarleton currently shows a 40% increase in applications ... but how many will actually come? How many Intro English instructors and dorm beds do we need? Overshooting and undershooting both carry significant costs. The newly developed Admitted Matriculation Projection (AMP) machine learning model uses an archive of weekly snapshots of application activity to statistically compare students currently admitted for Fall 2024. AMP assigns individualized probabilities for each admitted student to matriculate, enroll in specific lower-level courses, and desire university housing. Through Multiple Imputation by Chained Equations (MICE), AMP provides prediction intervals (not just single point estimates) for course and housing demands. Using Shapley explainability scores, AMP help enrollment management understand which factors drive student decisions with individualized student-by-student importance scores. |
| 1:50 | LBJSC 3-10.1 | Promote Growth Mindset in Math Classes through Reflections Kasai Un Texas A&M University-Commerce | This presentation demonstrates how to use online surveys to promote students’ growth mindset in math classes. The experience of instructors and feedback from students of these activities will be shared. |
| 2:20 | LBJSC 3-10.1 | Differentiation Gateways at St. Mary's University: Implementation and outcomes from a pilot year Kaitlin Hill St. Mary's University | Differentiation gateways are one strategy for incorporating mastery-based assessment in a calculus course, where students can re-take an assessment of about 10 moderate-difficulty derivative problems as often as they need to demonstrate mastery of differentiation skills. We implemented differentiation gateways over two consecutive semesters at St. Mary's, each semester with 2 sections of 20-30 students. We will report student outcomes, both in their short- and long-term ability to differentiate functions in each course as well as their attitudes regarding the differentiation gateway. We will compare the results of this pilot with a subsequent year of control courses with no gateway, as well as current literature regarding differentiation gateway efficacy. |
| 2:50 | LBJSC 3-10.1 | Using ChatGPT in the Math Classroom Cavender Campbell & Tingxiu Wang. Texas A&M - Commerce | Mathematics teaching changes with the introduction of new technologies. Graphing calculators and Computer Algebra Systems (CAS) provided new ways to teach math content (Wang, 1994) and changed how Calculus sequence courses are taught and assessed. Now, Large Language Models (LLM), such as ChatGPT, will further change the dynamics of the mathematics classroom. The uses for ChatGPT in the math classroom are just beginning to be studied. ChatGPT itself suggests 10 ways for helping student learning in math, though not the same 10 each time. These can be grouped into five main areas: critical thinking, concept explanation, problem solving, examples, and study aids. We will examine current ideas for implementing ChatGPT in each of these areas at the undergraduate level. |
| 1:20 | LBJSC 3-21.2 | Using quaternions to prove a theorem in spherical geometry Marshall Whittlesey California State University San Marcos | Quaternions can be used to prove theorems in spherical geometry. Here we use quaternions to provide an interesting new proof of a theorem from the ‘Sphaerica’ of Menelaus about midlines in spherical triangles. (A midline is an arc connecting the midpoint of two sides of a triangle.) The technique of proof is featured in the speaker's book "Spherical Geometry and its Applications," with CRC Press. The speaker teaches a class in spherical geometry to mathematics majors at Cal State San Marcos. This an example of possible topics that might be covered in such a class. |
| 1:50 | LBJSC 3-21.2 | Magic and Mathematics: Enhancing College Algebra through Recreational Learning Ricardo Teixeira University of Houston - Victoria | Some of mathematical concept may seem distant and abstract to students, particularly in foundational courses like College Algebra. However, by integrating recreational mathematics, specifically through magic tricks, instructors can bring these concepts to life in an engaging way. This talk proposes an innovative approach to teaching College Algebra by incorporating magic tricks as illustrative tools for various mathematical concepts. By intertwining entertainment with education, students can develop a deeper understanding of algebraic principles while fostering a sense of wonder and curiosity about mathematics. |
| 2:20 | LBJSC 3-21.2 | Active Learning in the Classroom Rebecca Steward Texas A&M University - Commerce | Incorporating a review of the main points from the lesson covered that day into an active learning worksheet activity seems to help with student learning, understanding, and engagement. Examples of these activities and students reactions to them will be discussed. |
| 2:50 | LBJSC 3-21.2 | ||
| 1:20 | LBJSC 3-21.3 | Bad Algebra, Good Solution Scott Eddy Howard Payne University | Sometimes an incorrect step taken may still lead to a correct solution. Unfortunately, some of those incorrect steps are more common in our algebra classes than we would like. We will look at some of these common errors, specifically when they yield correct solutions, and how to avoid problems where this can happen. |
| 1:50 | LBJSC 3-21.3 | Building Thinking Classrooms at Tarleton State University Courtney Holland (with Brentley Bendewald and Dr. Aria Dougherty) Tarleton State University | Peter Liljedahl's strategy for building thinking classrooms is sweeping the nation in popularity. His book, Building Thinking Classrooms, details an approach designed to promote student engagement in the classroom, thus building an increased command of the material they learn. Thinking classrooms involve students up at VNPs (vertical non-permanent surfaces) in a "chaosified" room while learning content for themselves, directly opposing some of the more popular lecture-style teaching techniques used by math teachers in which students are encouraged to copy processes first presented to them in a “I do, we do, you do” fashion. At Tarleton State University, we shifted our statistics classroom from this traditional lecture-style setup to the thinking classroom model. We taught Unit 1 using the traditional model and Unit 2 using the thinking model. We will share student reviews, our reviews, and exam data to compare Units 1 and 2. |
| 2:20 | LBJSC 3-21.3 | Formulas and Analysis of the Roots of a Cubic Function with Real Coefficients Eduardo Chappa Southeast New Mexico College | Given a cubic function $f(x) = ax^{3} + bx^{2} + cx + d$, with real coefficients, we deduce formulas for finding its roots. The formulas we present show the appearance of the inflection point of the cubic, the location of its local extrema, and other related quantities in the writing of these formulas. In addition, under some conditions, we write formulas for finding the complex solutions. We show these are located in an equilateral hyperbola related to the graph of the cubic function. Finally, we also show the dependence of the roots of $f$ in its coefficients, and show how they move in the complex plane and real axis as the coefficients change. This presentation is not based in algebraic methods to find the roots of $f$, but in calculus methods instead. |
| 2:50 | LBJSC 3-21.3 | Means and Harmony Kristofer Jorgenson Sul Ross State University | I will discuss numerical quantities that form the basis of harmony, such as tone frequency and the length of a plucked string, and how proportional frequency interacts with the Pythagorean Means (the Arithmetic Mean, Geometric Mean, and Harmonic Mean) as well as the Golden Mean. |
| 1:20 | LBJSC 4.19 | Fixed Points and Transient Points in Permutation Groups Richard Winton Tarleton State University | Basic definitions fundamental to the paper are presented. More specifically, in the group of permutations on a nonempty set, fixed points and transient points are defined. Preliminary material concerning fixed points and transient points in permutation groups is developed. A main theorem is established which provides sufficient conditions for the set of fixed points of a power of a permutation to be contained in the set of fixed points of another power of the same permutation. A result similar to the main theorem is provided for the sets of transient points of powers of a permutation. |
| 1:50 | LBJSC 4.19 | The History and Significance of the Fibonacci Numbers Leah Cole Hardin-Simmons University | The Fibonacci numbers are quite commonly recognized and serve as an excellent illustration of a recursive sequence. In this talk, we will discuss the origin and history of the Fibonacci numbers and develop a formula for the nth Fibonacci number. We will also consider some of the applications that result from these numbers. |
| 2:20 | LBJSC 4.19 | Better Dating Through Mathematics Simon Pfeil Angelo State University | Do you believe in soulmates? How do you know when to stop dating and settle down? What does any of this have to do with math? In this talk, we will try to answer these questions, and present a strategy for maximizing your chances of finding "The One." |
| 2:50 | LBJSC 4.19 | Infinite Families of Solutions of Singular Superlinear Equations on Exterior Domains Joseph Iaia University of North Texas | We study radial solutions of $\Delta u + K(|x|) f(u) =0$ in the exterior of the ball of radius $R>0$ in ${\mathbb R}^{N}$ where $f$ grows superlinearly at infinity and is singular at $0$ with $f(u) \sim \frac{1}{|u|^{q-1}u}$ and $0<q<1$ for small $u$. We assume $K(|x|) \sim |x|^{-\alpha}$ for large $|x|$ and establish existence of two infinite families of sign-changing solutions when $N < \alpha < N+q(N-2) .$ |
| 1:20 | LBJSC Teaching Theater | Improving Machine Learning Performance on Image Databases by Embedding Vector Fields Adam Bowden & and Nikolay M. Sirakov Texas A&M University–Commerce | This presentation will discuss and show how machine learning classification was improved using vector fields to augment image features. Examples will be included showing images from new databases where the features are expanded with vector field features. These vector field features are trajectories and singular point shapes. Experimental results will also be provided to show how well the new methods work to improve machine learning effectiveness. In addition, information regarding a new and in-development repository (https://www.tamuc.edu/projects/augmented-image-repository/?swcfpc=1) of augmented image databases and related software will be presented. |
| 1:50 | LBJSC Teaching Theater | Bayesian Disease Modeling Christopher Mitchell. Tarleton State University | Amortized Bayesian Inference offers many advantages over classical methodologies for fitting parameters in ODE models of disease outbreaks using low-quality data. This talk builds on our students' Bayesian Disease Modeling talk. It will dive deeper into the mathematical and data science machinery powering this transformative new approach to data-fitting that is powered by artificial neural networks and freely available through the open-source BayesFlow Python package. |
| 2:20 | LBJSC Teaching Theater | Regular Algebras with a Point Scheme Containing a Rank-Two Quadric Richard Chandler University of North Texas at Dallas | The point scheme of a noncommutative algebra is was defined by Artin, Tate and Van den Bergh in 1990 as an analogue of commutative algebraic geometry techniques. A complete classification of algebras whose point scheme contains a rank-four or a rank-three quadric was done in 1997 and 1999, respectively. In this talk, we discuss the work done on classifying algebras whose point scheme contains a rank-two quadric. |
| 2:50 | LBJSC Teaching Theater | Mathematical Modeling Projects Therese Shelton Southwestern University | We will outline some mathematical modeling projects, both large and small, for in and out of class. We will list resources, including some data sources, for faculty and students. |
| 1:20 | ENCINO 141 | Optimizing Learning: How a Minimal Time Investment in Active Learning Boosts Precalculus Mastery Zafer Buber Texas State University | Despite various efforts and initiatives to improve the success rates in precalculus courses across the United States, the statistics have not shown significant improvement over the last four decades. The research identifies poor instructional practices as one of the main factors contributing to this issue and finds them to be associated with overloaded curricula and fast-paced instruction in precalculus classes. Given that the primary instructional method in most college mathematics courses is direct instruction, this quasi-experimental study aims to investigate the impact of a low-time commitment active learning strategy on students’ achievement and participation in college precalculus classes. The proposed intervention aims to slow down the instructional pace, especially for the students who need more time for conceptual advancement and create more opportunities to provide students with more time to reason and think. The findings indicate that this intervention has the potential to improve student achievement and increase participation in college precalculus classes. |
| 1:50 | ENCINO 141 | Beyond algorithmic tests: Motivational examples for teaching series Susan Staples. TCU | For a student in a standard calculus course, the experience with sequences and series often takes the form of a procedural slog through a thicket of convergence tests. Studying series such as \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{n}{2^n} seems pointless, and conclusions such as “the series converges by Test A” less than meaningful. In this talk, we offer motivations from diverse fields such as financial math, probability, and physics for many series that might seem bland at the first glance. |
| 2:20 | ENCINO 141 | MYMathApps Calculus Philip Yasskin Texas A&M University | MYMathApps Calculus is an online text for a 3 semester calculus course. You can see a sample of about half the chapters at https://mymathapps.com/mymacalc-sample/ The full book is free for anyone in the Texas A&M University System at https://mymacalc.math.tamu.edu/. I will show the structure of the text with emphasis on the graphics and interactivity. Graphics, both 2D and 3D, static and animated, visual and interactive, help students understand concepts such as: • Calculus 1: definitions of a derivative as the limit of slopes of secant lines, linear approximation, derivatives of inverse functions, related rates, max/min problems, graphs of functions, radian measure, triangle inequality, Mean value theorem. • Calculus 2: Riemann sums, arc length, surface area, volumes by slicing and revolution, work, mixing problems, geometric series, convergence of Taylor series. • Calculus 3: graphs and contour plots, polar curves, parametric curves and surfaces, dot and cross products, partial derivatives as slopes of traces, directional derivatives, divergence and curl, Lagrange multipliers, expansion and circulation, multiple integrals, curvilinear coordinates and Jacobians, line and surface integrals, orientation issues in Green's, Stokes' and Gauss' theorems. The book is interactive in that there are lots of hyperlinks to other parts of the book and external resources. Most exercises have buttons to display the answer or the full solution. Many have a hint or a way to check results or remarks to be read afterwards. The book also has lots of proofs and theory for interested students: precise limits with proofs of all the limit laws, mean value theorem, derivation of formulas for applications of integrals, Taylor convergence theorem, velocity is tangent to curve. Some plots can be rotated or have features which can be added or dragged. In particular, there are interactive plots to understand partial derivatives and tangent planes. |
| 2:50 | ENCINO 141 | A College Algebra Proof of the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra (FTA) Franklin Kemp (Co)Sine Clock Company | We claim that William Kingdon Clifford's FTA concise proof appearing only in an abstract has been overlooked among all FTA proofs as the only one accessible to college algebra students. Applying Clifford's proof to quadratic factorization of even polynomials in quartic, sextic, and octic cases , five concepts mentioned but omitted in the abstract are combined to prove the FTA: (1) simple algebraic elimination of a variable (say, $x$) from two polynomial equations that leads directly to (2) the formidable sounding ``Professor Sylvester's Dialytic Method's" determinant, (3) quadratic factorization (via $quadratic$ synthetic division), (4) basic determinant manipulation, and (5) the intermediate value theorem for odd degree polynomials. |
| 1:20 | ENCINO 104 | ||
| 1:50 | ENCINO 104 | ||
| 2:20 | ENCINO 104 | ||
| 2:50 | ENCINO 104 |
Moderators
LBJSC 3-10.1: Piyush Shroff
LBJSC 3-21.2: Debra Cunningham
LBJSC 3-21.3: Jackson Rebrovich
LBJSC 4.19: Alison Marr
LBJSC Teaching Theater: Jaroslaw Jaracz
ENCINO 141: Hiroko Warshauer