MATHEMATICS EDUCATION FORUM

FIELDS MATHEMATICS EDUCATION FORUM
MINUTES - MARCH 2, 2002

Draft of White Paper

9:30 to 10:00 refreshments
A light lunch will be served at 12:00 P.M.

Regrets: John Izatt, Peter Crippen, Steve Brown, Peter Taylor, Gila Hanna

PRESENT: Gary Flewelling, George Gadanidis, Fred Reichl, Ed Barbeau, Miroslav Lovric, Bradd Hart, Ysbrand de Bruyn, John Kezys, Margaret Sinclair, Lynda Graham, Geoff Roulet, Eric Muller, Cheryl Turner, Tom Sutton, Doug McDougall, Cathy Gouthro, Sonia Ben Jaafer, Stewart Craven, Tom Steinke, Shirley Dalrymple

AGENDA

1. Welcome
2. Approval of Agenda - Additional items
3. 10:00 - 12:00 Focus Issues / Challenges / Recommendations (Chaired by Stewart Craven and Gary Flewelling)
(Please review the attached draft of the white paper On-Line Mathematics: Visions and Opportunities, Issues and Challenges, and Recommendations. Which issues/challenges/recommendation identified in the white paper should we be focussing on?)
4. 12:00 - 12:45 Lunch
5. 12:45 - 2:00 Next Steps
a) Identifying those who should receive the white paper and the method by which it should be distributed.
b) Next Steps (Think about advice you can provide the task force about next steps (executive summary? on-line evaluation form? future working meeting? projects? ...)

Discussion on White Paper (Stewart Craven and Gary Flewelling)

Geoff Roulet - chose author positions by school level - differences between school levels not drastic, therefore use the structure of the online workshop day for white paper frame - introduction set the stage for the debate in teaching and learning mathematics

George Gadanidis - referred to tape recording for writing - use of chart paper and notes from online meeting too - divided visions, . . . , accommodations into 4 more groupings - does the draft make sense in terms of structure? - make points of what is under/over emphasized

Doug McDougall - recommendations about student/teacher learning and implementations and research

Open to Floor (discussion on 2 major set of ideas = structures and emphasis)
- document is directed
- it's a report to an audience (but who?)
- people who attended the meeting, OMCA, OAME, etc.
- but after next steps, audience becomes critical
- therefore need to prioritize the issues in certain order, and reduce numbering

- this paper is a reaction
- could be used as an appendix to reports serving different audiences (or main report as reference for other audiences)
- incorporation of questions into paper
- issues of diversity need to be addressed

What's Happenning?
- due to amalgamation there has been a decrease in communciation
- someone had a vision that we should provide online courses for students
- every student by year ? should complete 1 online course
- a department was created called "knowledge network" (an offshoot of IT)
- mandate to produce virtual school
- 95% of students dropped out of the social science courses
- and now math?????
- there is a huge diconnect between online creation and instructional level
- and even though the courses are not good, we have no choice but to teach them

FOCUS GROUPS to discuss the issues: what highlights (areas of emphasis) that address an audience What issues/challenges/recommendations in white paper should our group focus on?

University/College - students should be involved - include characteristics of good online courses - students should be trained to work online - admistrative support

Teacher Education - math activities for teachers which are online - AQ courses for teaching in an online environment - teachers need more experience using computer products

Research - Gila's work - new projects - another research conference - what about meta-analysis? - listing of related research in anecdotal bibliography

Board - purpose for doing online courses - development of online courses - attributes of sound/good courses - how to do assessment online - should there be face to face built into online course

Reminder: Dates of Future Meetings
April 6, 2002
May 11, 2002
June 8, 2002