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Cooperative Learning in Undergraduate Mathematics Education By
Ed Dubinsky (edd@zeus.cs.gsu.edu)
For the past 6 years, the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) has
conducted a project on Cooperative Learning in Undergraduate Mathematics
Education (CLUME). Its purpose is to help college mathematics faculty
develop the ability to use cooperative learning as a pedagogical strategy
in college level mathematics courses. Under the directorship of Barbara
Reynolds of Cardinal Stritch University, David Mathews of Southwestern
Michigan College, and Ed Dubinsky of Georgia State University, and with
the support of the US National Science Foundation, Project CLUME has held
an annual 12-day summer workshop, conducted workshops of various lengths
on several campuses, run a mini-course at the annual Winter and Summer
meeting of the MAA, produced cooperatively written books on cooperative
learning, and made numerous presentations at meetings and colloquia.
Of these activities, the most important is the summer workshop. There
have generally been about 30-40 participants and they spend 12 days of
intensive study, discussion, practice and reflection. One of the features
of the program is that participants engage in an extended permanent group
experience in learning some mathematical topic such as cryptanalysis which
is probably unfamiliar to them. Reflecting on their experiences helps
them understand what is going on with their students concerning the triumphs
and tragedies of group work. There is an opportunity for them to try,
with themselves as guinea pigs, various methods of improving the group
experience and overcoming the difficulties that arise.
In addition to this "long-term" strategy, the participants also work
with all of the standard short term strategies (talking heads, round-robin,
pair-share,
etc.) and analyze their advantages and disadvantages. There are readings
and discussion of the literature about various theoretical bases for cooperative
learning as well studies of effectiveness. The participants have an opportunity
to experience cooperative learning in working with computers both as relatively
passive users of a computer algebra system and to construct mathematical
concepts on the computer using a mathematical programming language. Finally,
there is an opportunity to design and present mini-classes using various
cooperative learning strategies.
The participants return for a reunion the year after the workshop to
share their experiences, make and hear suggestions for dealing with specific
issues and
generally work to form an ongoing network.
The next workshop will take place on the campus of Georgia State University,
June 6-18, 1999. For more information, contact Ed Dubinsky, at edd@cs.gsu.edu.
The address of CLUME's website is: www.stritch.edu/~ber/CLUME.html.
During the past decade there has been, in the US, a sustained increase
in the use of cooperative learning for mathematics at the collegiate level.
There are many factors contributing to this development and one of the
most important is the set of activities of MAA's Project CLUME.
Selected Peer Resources URLs
Compiled by Keith Topping -- www.dundee.ac.uk/psychology/kjtopping
Peer Resources -- www.peer.ca/peer.html
Peer Support Networker, Roehampton Institute,
London, An Institute of the University of Surrey
www.roehampton.ac.uk/academic/sciences/psy/psn/index.html
SOS (Students for Other Students)
www.utoledo.edu/colleges/education/SOS/index.html
National Tutoring Association (USA)
http://www.nta.jsu.edu
International Mentoring Association
www.indiana.edu/~rugsdev/ima.html
Yes, You Can: A Guide for Establishing Mentoring
Programs to Prepare Youth for College
www.ed.gov/pubs/YesYouCan
Mentor Net: The National Electronic Industrial Mentoring Network for Women
in Engineering and Science
www.mentornet.net
International Tutoring Foundation
http://edie.cprost.sfu.ca/it
America Reads Challenge
www.ed.gov/inits/americareads
Collaborative Learning: Small Group Learning Page
www.wcer.wisc.edu/nise/cl1
Cooperative Learning Center -- www.clcrc.com
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