Grant Recipients
Nickolas Rollick, Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing
Nam-Hwui Kim, Faculty of Mathematics, Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science
(Project Timeline: September 1, 2020 - August 31, 2021)
Description
- This project aims for undergraduate mathematics students to communicate a sophisticated mathematical idea by designing an accessible book in small groups, for younger children, on a course-related mathematical topic of their choice.
- It also investigates how this project impacted the participant's mathematical communication skills, as well as their ability to communicate mathematical ideas to a non-mathematical audience (which, in this case, are younger children).
- This project encourages deep student learning by promoting the application of mathematical ideas in a cross-disciplinary context. This is a task that requires a deeper synthesis of the underlying mathematical ideas.
Question Investigated
- To what extent does introducing a children’s book design project within a mathematics course improve undergraduate students’ mathematical communication abilities?
Findings
- While the sample size was small, the project allowed for students to better understand the concepts, and there was a slight increase in median scores in pre-assessment and post-assessment for:
- Defining new terms and avoiding jargon
- Breaking the larger topic up to accessible chunks
- Explaining concepts to non-specialists
Dissemination and Impact
- Several students found this project to be a novel and fun way to demonstrate their mathematical understanding, and would like to see similar projects happen in other courses.
Implications
- This project has opened the applicant up to the possibility of more “non-traditional” assessments in math classes, and that these can be taken seriously by my students and lead to quality products.
- It has also done the same for colleagues, particularly the teaching team for the Fall 2021 edition of MATH 235.
- As a result of conducting this children’s book project, the applicant has now started an informal collaboration with an alumnus of Carleton University, an undergraduate computer science student from UW, and Veselin Jungic, a professor at Simon Fraser University, who has done extensive work in preparing children’s stories that combine storytelling from First Nations communities with mathematical problems.
References
McVarish, J. (2009). Artistry in Teaching: Writing Children’s Mathematics Literature
Books as Teacher Education. Journal for Learning Through the Arts, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.21977/D95110034
Ruffell, S. E. & Mayberry, T. (2019). Promoting Science Communication with
Children’s Literature as a High-Impact Practice (HIP) Assessment. Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education, 20(2).
Seawright, L. & Hassan, I. (2016). The STEM Loop: Undergraduate Engineering
Students Create a STEM Children’s Book, presented at ASEE 2016 International Forum, New Orleans.