Publications

Scholarly Activities

I have been part of a team developing a new approach to precalculus instruction in order to reduce the attrition rate of students in college who want to major in the sciences. In 1994-5, experimental sections at New Jersey Institute of Technology used some of this material.

The pilot course began with one section in the Fall of 1994 and expanded to two sections in 1995. The pilot sections dramatically outperformed all other sections on the common precalculus examinations. Typical results had the pilot courses' average grade near 85%, while the other sections' average grades were close to 60% which is representative of the average grades in sections of precalculus in other years. 100% of the students in the pilot courses passed as opposed to the overall passing rate of approximately 60%.

Since the Fall, 1995, at N.J.I.T. in place of a textbook, the newly developed materials have been used exclusively. Prof. Yee and I have been using some of these methods and materials in courses Essex County College and William Paterson respectively. Prof. William Kiegher of Rutgers, Newark has also expressed an interest in the materials and is teaching as an adjunct professor at N.J.I.T. to familiarize himself with the new approach.

Dr. Katzen, Ms. Ahluwalia and I have met with Mr. Chris Shenk of Simon and Schuster, a division of Prentice Hall concerning the publication of a book patterned on these notes which will be used, at first, at New Jersey Institute of Technology, as a textbook in their algebra and precalculus courses. Submission of the first chapter, graphs and a table of contents will be sent to the publisher shortly.

A list of people familiar with the results of this work at N.J.I.T. is:

Dr. Martin Katzen - Undergraduate Coordinator
Dr. Aida Berrios - Dean of Student Services
Dr. Greg Kreigsman - Former Chairman of the Department
Dr. Dolghit Ahluwahlia - Chair, Math Department Director for the Center for Applied Mathematics

Released Time

In Spring 1997, I have been awarded ART for my project on the Precalculus textbook.

Summer Academy

NJIT
Mathematics Department

Grants

As a result of my presentation to the Dean's Advisory Council which had representatives from American Cyanamid, the program was awarded $10,000 over the three years to be used as discretionary funds for the program.

As an outgrowth of the NSF grant, for which I was the principal investigator, I together with two other faculty members, applied for a PIP grant. The department was awarded funds for the Calculus and Precalculus Learning Center where student assistants, who have proficiency in mathematics and the software MATHEMATICA, act as peer tutors.In addition, funds were awarded for a computer and terminal installed in the room. MATHEMATICA is a very powerful software program which is used to solve applications in the calculus sequence and other advanced courses.

My initiative was the primary for which created the Learning Center based on my consultations with the one set up at N.J.I.T. I proposed and had the Mathematics Department adopt the extra credit incentive plan which has increased attendance in the Learning Center.

Community Service

UJA

of Bergen County

NJ