Communicating Mathematics: What's All the Buzz About?

Bart D. Stewart (Presenter) and Jeff A. Libby

United States Military Academy

For many students, math is challenging - and, every now and then, it can be cryptic! But when students grasp a mathematical concept, they own it! Promoting both, however, remains our charge! If we can promote mathematical concepts, then the expectation that the mathematical knowledge may follow may not be too far fetched!

In an effort to help students become more comfortable with mathematical concepts, I created an on-going, open assignment in which my students related key curriculum material, such as discrete dynamical systems, eigenvalues, eigenvectors, tangent and velocity problems, to the antics of Buzz Lightyear (Toy Story), and in the spirit of To Infinity & Beyond!

Assignments were made daily, but oral presentations were voluntarily. Daily in-class discussions made opportunity for the points awarded to be redistributed, from presenter to the debater - so, healthy mathematical debates occasionally ensued.

The presentations and debates, which were fairly well received, not only made it possible to evaluate the students' comprehension of the material, but also improved their communication and reasoning skills.