Student Projects in Mathematics at Clarion University

该项目的动机是需要在数学课程的一个单一的焦点，可以直接数学专业的学习在整个本科教育，并最终准备他们是独立的和终身学习者。 作为一个顶点的经验，以前的高级研讨会已打算通过让学生拉在一起3年的教学到一个单一的演示显示这种独立性。 学生们还没有准备好迎接这一挑战。 因此，该项目选择了在计划的每个阶段提高本科生研究能力的必要性作为其组织原则。 该项目通过提高对数学内容的掌握，创造完成扩展作业和自主探究的机会，以及提供促进创造性调查的现代技术能力，来改善学生的研究经验。 该项目确定了使用扩展作业和项目的课程，创建了激励和与课程目标相关的作业和项目，提高了对学生在课程中取得成就的期望，并根据每个阶段完成的项目和达到的掌握水平跟踪学生的进展。 该项目的好处是从学生的收获方面来描述的：（a）学生了解到数学是一门不断变化和扩展的动态学科;（B）学生了解数学是如何产生的以及数学研究是如何进行的;及（c）出席会议及介绍其工作，学生们与更大的数学界建立了联系，并对数学的美丽和优雅有了更大的欣赏。 *

This project is motivated by the need in the mathematics program for a single focus that can direct mathematics majors' learning throughout their undergraduate education and ultimately prepare them to be independent and life-long learners. As a capstone experience, the previous senior seminar has been intended to display this independence by having students pull together 3 years of instruction into a single presentation. Unfortunately students have not been prepared to meet this challenge. This project has therefore chosen as its organizing principle the need to improve undergraduate research capabilities at every stage of the program. This project improves students' research experiences by improving mastery of mathematical content, creating opportunities to complete extended assignments and self-directed inquiry, and providing modern technological capabilities that facilitate creative investigations. This project identifies courses for which extended assignments and projects are used, creates assignments and projects that are stimulating and relevant to course objectives, increases the expectations for student accomplishment as they advance through the program, and tracks students' progress according to projects completed and mastery levels reached at each stage. The benefits of this project are described in terms of student gains: (a) students learn that mathematics is a dynamic subject that is constantly changing and expanding; (b) students understand how mathematics is created and how mathematical research is conducted; and (c) by attending conferences and giving presentations of their work, students become connected to the greater mathematics community and gain greater appreciation for the beauty and elegance of mathematics. *