There was a whole lot of number crunching going on this past Saturday at Southwestern Michigan College as it hosted the annual Michigan Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges Conference.
SMC Math Department Chair Robin Shipkosky tells us more than 50 mathematicians were on hand to discuss, learn, and mingle.
“We have instructors from all different levels,” Shipkosky said. “I teach developmental math, lower level math, but we had calculus instructors. We had instructors who teach physics. We had a number of different topic areas all sitting together and working with each other.”
The keynote speakers discussed the benefits of active learning, when students participate in the learning process through activities rather than listening to lectures, and how to handle AI in math education. Shipkosky says it’s essentially prohibited, and if a student were to cheat on an assignment with AI, they’d probably struggle with the exam.
Another challenge the instructors discussed was ensuring new students are ready for math classes at the college level.
“Recently in the state of Michigan, there was some math reform brought on by the state where it was instructed to all community colleges that we could no longer teach what is called developmental math. So students have to come in to the college being math ready to take that first freshman level course. And that is usually not the case.”
Shipkosky says that’s been a major issue. Attendees also held several breakout sessions that tackled topics like increasing interest in calculus, proofs of the Pythagorean Theorem, and how to use an elevated level calculator on a phone.
Shipkosky says it took a year of preparation to host the conference, but it was well worth it to gather with colleagues, learn the latest in the field, and even be challenged with some math problems.
