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1500 questions
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3 answers
How do I sketch a good gaussian curve freehanded, or by using only common sketching tools?
I'm a lousy artist. If I want my Gaussian curves to be accurately drawn when I use a whiteboard, or work with pen & paper, what are my options?
Is there a way to use a straight edge, or compass, or some other trick to getting accurate curves from…
Kiteration
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What research is there on the effectiveness of multiple choice questions for summative assessment?
This is perhaps the question that some thought Grading scale: how to handle multiple choice questions with different number of choices really was. I'm of the opinion that multiple choice questions should not be used for summative assessment. …
Andrew Stacey
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5 answers
Where can I find public repositories of past math exams?
I'm looking for public repositories/banks of past undergraduate math exams. No solutions necessary. I just want inspiration for writing my own exams and practice exams. It'd be nice to collect links to these repositories in one place.
Side-quest:…
Mike Pierce
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13
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3 answers
Are there research studies that attempt to determine the value of a "Growth Mindset?"
A "growth mindset" can be defined this way, see this article:
In a fixed mindset students believe their basic abilities, their intelligence, their talents, are just fixed traits. They have a certain amount and that's that, and then their goal…
Chris Cunningham
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13
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7 answers
What different ways do people use to show students that $\mathbb{R}$ is uncountable?
In particular, if you use Cantor's diagonalization argument, do you ignore the repeating decimal annoyance? Or prove that it's not a problem?
Is there another clean way that gives students intuition on the uncountability of the reals?
adamblan
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13
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10 answers
What are some great books for inspiring children to explore mathematics?
Starting from a young age, children can explore deep mathematical questions and enjoy thinking about basic math within the context of a story. There are some real treasures out there.
Parents often think of math as addition and multiplication facts…
Sue VanHattum
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13
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3 answers
Are there technique to help with poor recall?
Let's be clear from the start - I'm NOT a maths educator.
I have a reasonable aptitude for maths: I've passed my high-school level exams in the subject, taken a life science degree and gone on to work in computing. In my experience I can understand…
Bob Tway
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3 answers
Which first, definite or indefinite integrals?
Does anyone have any good reasons to offer for introducing definite integrals before indefinite integrals, or the other way around? Definite integrals first because they have a clearer geometric interpretation? Indefinite integrals first because…
user507
13
votes
6 answers
How do I Introduce Converse Theorems in Class?
I'm teaching geometry to grade 8 and 9 students, and I find that they often mistake theorems with their converses. For example, when I give them a 3, 4, 5 triangle and ask them to decide whether or not it is a right triangle (using the converse of…
David Ebert
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What studies exist, comparing the efficacy of exercise sheets with or without worked solutions?
I've been tutoring mathematics at university level for over 10 years, and one of the more common requests from students is worked solutions for sheets of exercises. Most educators I've worked with seem to think that not including worked solutions,…
Theo Bendit
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3 answers
What are some good final project prompts for a calculus class (where they have to write a "paper")?
This is very similar to a question I asked at MSE a while back ago but I think it is far more appropriate here. https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/632139/examples-of-open-ended-calculus-class-project-ideas. However, I'd like to throw in a…
WetlabStudent
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13 answers
Symmetry - practical uses
My girlfriend is studying to become a math teacher, and asked me what I have ever used symmetries for.
I'm a web developer, and do some designing from time to time, so I answered that symmetry have given me a general understanding of aesthetics.…
Kristian Frost
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6 answers
Free Groups First Approach
In an undergraduate Abstract Algebra class, it appears that there are two standard approaches: "groups first" or "rings first". Most abstract algebra texts with a "groups first" approach start with some combination of groups in $\mathbb{C}$, groups…
Aeryk
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4 answers
Analyzing an answer to the following problem: Give meaning to $\frac{4}{5} + \frac{2}{3}$
Case:
Exam Problem given to student at university: Give a problem/context illustrating the operation $\frac{4}{5} + \frac{2}{3}$
Answer by student: Anna and Beatrice buy flowers for grandpa for his birthday. Anna buys $5$ flowers , $4$ of which are…
Improve
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3 answers
How many of "The Seven Laws of Teaching" are still relevant for teaching maths today?
Wikipedia shows that in 1886 John Milton Gregory outlined his "The Seven Laws of Teaching"; asserting that a teacher should:
Know thoroughly and familiarly the lesson you wish to teach; or, in other words, teach from a full mind and a clear…
user 85795
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