Report on Faculty Exchange Report on Faculty Exchange and Sabbatical during theand Sabbatical during the2006-07 Academic Year2006-07 Academic Year

Gerald Kruse, Ph.D.Gerald Kruse, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Computer Science Associate Professor of Computer Science

and Mathematicsand Mathematics

kruse@juniata.edukruse@juniata.eduhttp://faculty.juniata.edu/krusehttp://faculty.juniata.edu/kruse

2006-072006-07

Faculty Exchange at Fachhochschule (FH) Muenster, in Faculty Exchange at Fachhochschule (FH) Muenster, in Burgsteinfurt, Germany, during the fall 2006 semester.Burgsteinfurt, Germany, during the fall 2006 semester.

Burgsteinfurt is 30 miles outside Muenster, and it is the Burgsteinfurt is 30 miles outside Muenster, and it is the location of the FH-Muenster Engineering and location of the FH-Muenster Engineering and Technology campus.Technology campus.

Algorithmen und Data StrukturenAlgorithmen und Data Strukturen

Graphical ProgrammingGraphical Programming

Sabbatical in Huntingdon, PA, during the spring 2007 Sabbatical in Huntingdon, PA, during the spring 2007 semestersemester

We hope to encourage Juniata We hope to encourage Juniata students to study at FH-Muenster by students to study at FH-Muenster by

having a faculty exchange firsthaving a faculty exchange firstFacultyFaculty

Gerald Kruse Thomas WeikGerald Kruse Thomas Weik

Juniata StudentsJuniata Students FH-Muenster StudentsFH-Muenster Students

Tim AumanTim Auman Robin SegglemannRobin Segglemann

Mike LinkMike Link Frank VolkmerFrank Volkmer

Sascha HlusiakSascha Hlusiak

Morin OstkampMorin Ostkamp

Departing Huntingdon on the TrainDeparting Huntingdon on the Train

““Our” House in the Village of LeerOur” House in the Village of Leer

Riding Bikes into the Village of LeerRiding Bikes into the Village of Leer

First Day of “Grundschule”First Day of “Grundschule”

Foxhunt!Foxhunt!

St. NicholasSt. Nicholas

Outside “my” officeOutside “my” office

Juniata Students For DinnerJuniata Students For Dinner

The Computer LabThe Computer Lab

What is Quantitative Literacy?What is Quantitative Literacy?““The ability to use numbers and data analysis in The ability to use numbers and data analysis in everyday life.”everyday life.” Bernard Madison, Univ. of Arkansas Bernard Madison, Univ. of Arkansas

““..knowing how to reason and think, and it is all but ..knowing how to reason and think, and it is all but absent from our curricula today.”absent from our curricula today.” Gina Kolata, NY Times Gina Kolata, NY Times

““Having comfort with arithmetic, data analysis, Having comfort with arithmetic, data analysis, computing, modeling, statistics, chance/probability, and computing, modeling, statistics, chance/probability, and reasoning.” reasoning.” Excerpt from Excerpt from Mathematics in DemocracyMathematics in Democracy..

While a course in quantitative literacy might focus on While a course in quantitative literacy might focus on practical, real-world problems, it still provides the students practical, real-world problems, it still provides the students with a strong mathematical foundation.with a strong mathematical foundation.

Quantitative Literacy at Juniata Quantitative Literacy at Juniata CollegeCollege

Juniata has had “Quant-Math” and “Quant-Stat” Juniata has had “Quant-Math” and “Quant-Stat” skill requirement for graduation since the mid-skill requirement for graduation since the mid-1990’s.1990’s.MA 103, Quantitative Methods, was developed MA 103, Quantitative Methods, was developed by Sue Esch to serve students who do not have by Sue Esch to serve students who do not have courses with quantitative components in their courses with quantitative components in their POE’s.POE’s.MA 103 is one of the few courses which satisfies MA 103 is one of the few courses which satisfies both the “QM” and “QS” skills.both the “QM” and “QS” skills.A large percentage of students at Juniata satisfy A large percentage of students at Juniata satisfy their “Q” graduation requirement by taking MA their “Q” graduation requirement by taking MA 103, Quantitative Methods (5 sections per year).103, Quantitative Methods (5 sections per year).

Time for a change…Time for a change…

From 1996 to 2007, the text used in MA 103 was From 1996 to 2007, the text used in MA 103 was Quantitative MethodsQuantitative Methods, notes written and , notes written and maintainedmaintained by Sue Esch (Bukowski and Kruse by Sue Esch (Bukowski and Kruse added as co-authors later), and produced on added as co-authors later), and produced on campus.campus.

Students used two full-feature software Students used two full-feature software packages: Minitab for statistics, and Maple for packages: Minitab for statistics, and Maple for mathematics.mathematics. MA 103 was one of my favorite courses to teach, MA 103 was one of my favorite courses to teach, but I realized that after 10 years it was due for but I realized that after 10 years it was due for an update.an update.

The Search Begins…The Search Begins…

Published texts preferredPublished texts preferred

Excel-based technology preferredExcel-based technology preferred

Many texts considered, three seriouslyMany texts considered, three seriously

Frequent consultation with Math Frequent consultation with Math department colleaguesdepartment colleagues

Chosen Text: Chosen Text: Quantitative ReasoningQuantitative Reasoning, by , by Sevilla and Somers (from Moravian).Sevilla and Somers (from Moravian).

HighlightsHighlights

Pre- and post-assessments of student skills and Pre- and post-assessments of student skills and attitudes attitudes Active learning approachActive learning approachTechnology informs and enhances the mathTechnology informs and enhances the mathOpen-ended projectsOpen-ended projectsPaper-reduced (assignments posted online, deliverables Paper-reduced (assignments posted online, deliverables uploaded)uploaded)Provided my Math department colleagues with:Provided my Math department colleagues with: daily schedule daily schedule daily notes daily notes suggested homework problems suggested homework problems solutions to all Activities solutions to all Activities

Additional AccomplishmentsAdditional Accomplishments

MAA PREP Workshop on Quantitative LiteracyMAA PREP Workshop on Quantitative Literacy

FH-Muenster Kolloquium: “Google’s Billion Dollar FH-Muenster Kolloquium: “Google’s Billion Dollar Eigenvector”Eigenvector”

SIGCSE Poster: “A Useful Case-Study in Algorithm SIGCSE Poster: “A Useful Case-Study in Algorithm Experimentation: Unexpected Timing Results with Experimentation: Unexpected Timing Results with Heapsort” Heapsort”

SIGCSE Special Session: “A Status Report from the SIGCSE Special Session: “A Status Report from the Committee to Evaluate Models of Faculty Scholarship”Committee to Evaluate Models of Faculty Scholarship”

MAA (Allegheny Mountain Section) Talk: “Are Quicksort MAA (Allegheny Mountain Section) Talk: “Are Quicksort and Heapsort Really O(n*lg n)?”and Heapsort Really O(n*lg n)?”