Math 115 --- Math Confidence
Catalog Description
A course for students who want an improved attitude toward learning math. Students explore feelings about math and develop strategies to overcome math phobia. Emphasis will be placed on study strategies and problem-solving skills designed to enhance success in courses in mathematics and in related areas.
Special notes or advisories: This course is recommended for those students taking Math 372, Math 376, and Math 380.
Prerequisites:
none
Describe representative skills without which the student would be highly unlikely to succeed: none
Course Learning Outcomes:
What should the student be able to do as a result of taking this course? State some of the objectives in terms of specific, measurable student accomplishments.
- Analyze past and current anxiety-producing situations in math and identify areas that need improvement, such as note-taking, time management, goal setting, study skills, motivation, etc.
- Read a math textbook effectively.
- Identify personal strengths and weaknesses in the study of mathematics.
- Develop positive-thinking skills and effective personalized studying and test-taking strategies.
- Compare, select, and execute a variety of problem-solving techniques for math problems.
Course Content
- Themes: What themes, if any, are threaded throughout the learning experiences in this course?
- Success in mathematics is not simply a result of natural talents.
- The effect positive-thinking has on performance.
- Managing success in mathematics differs from that in other academic subjects.
- The importance of being a life-long independent learner.
- Confidence and how it impacts success.
- Development of confidence.
- Self-defeating behaviors.
- Math as a language.
- Systematic, step-wise, problem-solving processes.
- Creation of a learning environment that promotes mathematical success.
- Expansion of self-teaching skills to optimize potential.
- Anyone can improve their mathematical skills under the right conditions.
- Attributes such as age, race, or gender do not alone determine mathematical aptitude.
- Debunking math myths and eliminating games we play on ourselves.
- ThImportance of communicating, in particular, with instructors and classmates.
- The magnified value and strength of working in groups.
- Read, write, and speak the language of mathematics.
- Recognize symptoms of math anxiety and appropriate remedies.
- Develop positive-thinking skills; identify and eliminate negative self-talk.
- Read a college-level mathematics textbook.
- Design an effective studying and learning environment.
- Determine appropriate classroom behavior, homework and study skills.
- Develop effective test-preparation and test-taking strategies.
- Use a computer and/or scientific calculator.
- Develop effective communication skills, time-management, and relaxation techniques.
- Develop useful and effective deductive-reasoning skills.
- Discuss and identify qualities and actions of successful math students.
Representative Learning Activities
What will the students be doing (i.e., Listening to lectures, participating in discussions and/or group activities, attending a field trip, etc.)? Relate the activities directly to the Course Learning Outcomes.
- Listening to lectures.
- Small-group activities/discussions.
- Reading math textbooks and other book(s) and/or articles.
Assessment Tasks
How will the student show evidence of achieving the Course Learning Outcomes? Indicate which assessments (if any) are required for all sections.
- Representative assessment tasks:
- Written homework.
- Journals; portfolios; discussion boards.
- Presentations, oral and/or written.
- Quizzes and Exams.
- Required assessments for all sections – to include but not limited to:
Examples of Appropriate Texts or Other Readings
- Author: Henry Mark Smith; Title: Finding Confidence and Help with Math; Date: 2005
- Author: Cynthia A. Arem; Title: Conquering Math Anxiety, 3rd
- Author: Sheila Tobias; Title: Overcoming Math Anxiety; Date: 1995