Using Group Presentations In Lower Division Math Courses To Illustrate Real Life Uses Of Mathematics
For the
last year and a half, I have required group oral presentations in every lower
division (Calculus and lower) course I have taught. I got this idea a few
years ago from a seminar on teaching, which recommended including debates as a
method of discussion; gradually the idea evolved into its current form.
Each group picks its own topic. I only have three conditions: 1)
the subject must be very mathematical; 2) it must also be closely related to
topics covered in the course; and 3) it must either be a real example with real
data or a new mathematical topic not covered in the course (such as the
calculus of astronomy). The presentations are typically ten to fifteen
minutes in length (due to time constraints). I have occasionally invited
other faculty to see these presentations.
With so
few restrictions on the topics, I have had the pleasure to hear presentations
on subjects ranging from the Mathematics of Wedding Planning to Deer Management
to a Cost Analysis of Water Slides. While not every student initially
approaches the presentation with delight, the majority report that it was one
of the highlights of the course and that it helped show them that mathematics
is really used in the “real world.” Since first requiring the
presentations, I have discovered (and hopefully resolved) a number of pitfalls
that can occur when you give students such an open-ended assignment.
An outline
of my talk follows:
I.
Introduction.
II.
Timetable. Required work along the way (including preliminary research).
III.
Topics. Conditions that must be met. Examples which have been
used. Why not limit choice of topics?
IV.
Grading. Rubric used. Students also grade each other. Guest
faculty.
V.
Some example slides from presentations.
VI.
Pitfalls, and how to avoid them. Timing problems. Topic
problems. Group dynamics. What to do when PowerPoint crashes.
VII.
Student feedback and statistical analysis.