JEM-related activities

At the University of Amsterdam we are working on remedial mathematics exercise materials and mathematics materials that bridge the gap between secondary school mathematics and higher education. This is done by various members of the Higher Education Group at the AMSTEL Instituute in various projects:

• MathMatch project (until April 2007)
  Although the MathMatch Project finished in March 2007, SIGMA has made possible that the Maple T.A. question banks on Basic Mathematics, which remained after closure of the MathMatch project, were finalized in the Fall semester.
• GSO (Integrated Science Education, until July 2007)
  Although the GSO Project finished in July 2007, a revised paper on remedial mathematics for studying quantum chemistry was written and accepted by the Journal of Chemical Education.
• GALOIS project (Integrated Algebraic Learning Environment in School, February 2007- July 2007).
  The end of the GALOIS project has been celebrated with a teachers' workshop and presentation of the glossy project report. Funded by prize money earned by the GALOIS project experiments at schools about the use of Java Applets for mathematics exercises continue and tools are further developed under the name SAGE project.
• NKBW project (Nationale Kennisbank Basisvaardigheden Wiskunde, National Knowledge Bank on Basic Skills in Mathematics), a joint project with 13 Dutch higher education institutes (including JEM partner TUE).
  Project site: http://www.nkbw.nl, Project leader: L. van Gastel (UvA).
  This semester, which was also the last project period, can be characterised as the implementation phase of the project. The portal (www.wizmo.nl) has been implemented, tested, and further developed. Content development and use in secondary schools, higher professional schools and universities have been continued. A research agenda for the study of the mathematics problem in the transition from secondary school to higher education has been set up. In December planning for a follow-up project NKBW-2 took place resulting in the following envisioned work packages (1) usage of content and portal, (b) Interactive content and feedback, (c) convergence diagnostic tests pre-university - higher education (d) monitoring: quantitative and qualitative analysis of the transition problem.
• SIGMA (Special Interest Group Mathematics Activities).
  SIGMA aims to facilitate continuous learning paths in education in mathematics between secondary education and higher education. In this way SIGMA intends to improve on the problems regarding the transition 'from pupil to student' for mathematics. SIGMA is the platform for the exchange of knowledge, experiences and aids to address the problems of prerequisite mathematics. website: http://e-learning.surf.nl/sigma
  In this semester various workgroups have been working on the following themes: national synchronization of entry tests, standards for assessment, standards for mathematics test items, SIGMA-award for best practice in transition issues. SIGMA has also made possible that the Maple T.A. question banks on Basic Mathematics, which remained after closure of the MathMatch project, were finalized. In addition it has established a user group for the Maple TA question banks to continue the work of the MathMatch project.
• Toetsen@UvA.
  A small project aiming at improvement of the Maple T.A. question banks on Basic Mathematics and further development of question banks for mathematics courses at the Faculty of Science at the University of Amsterdam started in December 2007.

Dissemination (conferences, workshops, publications)

• 17-19 August. Workshops.
  Workshops and presentation of the "little SIGMA-award" in the SIGMA marquee at the Lowlands Festival.
• September - December. Newsletter.
  Monthly newsletter of SIGMA.
• September 2007. Report.
  Christian Bokhove, Gerard Koolstra, Peter Boon & André Heck (2007). The GALOIS Project (mainly in Dutch). Final Project Report, 28 pages.
• 18 September 2007. Article.
  An article in the SURF magazine about the mathematics problem at the transition from secondary school to higher education: "They Know it, but they cannot do it". An interview about the importance of good mathematics education with Robbert Dijkgraaf (Theoretical Physics, UvA) and Leendert van Gastel (AMSTEL).
• 3 October 2007. Workshop.
  SIGMA Meeting on standards for mathematical tests. Jasper Bedaux and Wolter Kaper (AMSTEL) gave presentations about their work packages.
• October 2007. Report.
  Natasa Brouwer, Bart Rienties, Annemiek Wieland, Fons van Engelen, Wolter Kaper, Dirk Tempelaar, André Heck, Maaike van Leijen, Jasper Bedaux, Martin Rehm & Bert ten Boske (2007). Sleutel tot succesvolle aansluiting web-spijkeren (in Dutch), ICT en Onderwijs. Utrecht:Stichting SURF, ISBN 9789078887089, 2007, 42 pages.
• 15-16 November 2007. Conference.
  SIGMA organised a track at the SURF Onderwijs Dagen (SURF Education Days) in Utrecht. (organizer: Natasa Brouwer, AMSTEL). Various workshop presentations.

• 30 November 2007. Conference.
  NKBW Day in Utrecht. Various project presentations.
• December 2007. Paper acceptance by the Journal of Chemical Education of:
  Lodewijk Koopman, Natasa Brouwer, André Heck and Wybren Jan Buma. Remedial Mathematics for Quantum Chemistry.
• December 2007. Report.
  Leendert van Gastel, Hans Cuypers, Vincent Jonker, Evert van de Vrie, Piet van der Zanden. Finals report of NKBW. Utrecht:Stichting SURF, ISBN 9789070786052, 2007, 128 pages.