Current Features
As our world becomes flatter, global connections and interdependence become increasingly important for economic as well as educational and social prosperity. With unprecedented economic expansion over the last decade, China is rapidly emerging as a leader in the global marketplace. During this time of dynamic change, the US has the opportunity to exchange ideas with Chinese educators about how each country is addressing critical issues related to globalization and education in their country.
Filling the pipeline with the next generation of chemists, engineers and statisticians isn’t easy. New research at North Carolina State University hopes to drive U.S. students to careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, also known as STEM.
A team of researchers at NC State recently received a $1.8 million grant from the National Science Foundation that will bring advanced mathematics software to rural, underserved high schools in North Carolina through NC State’s innovative cloud computing solution, the Virtual Computing Lab (VCL). The project, called “Scale-Up: Scaling up STEM Learning with the VCL,” is designed to be replicated across the state and country.
North Carolina is one of several states requiring high school students to take four years of math. For some students this means precalculus or calculus, but for others, this may not be the best option. The MINDSET Project may be the answer for those students choosing not to take calculus.
MINDSET stands for Mathematics INstruction using Decision Science and Engineering Tools and focuses on designing, implementing and evaluating a fourth year mathematics curriculum based upon operations research and industrial engineering. The idea is to teach math with a business focus that will improve a student’s problem solving skills and attitudes toward math, especially in underrepresented populations.
What do I want to be when I grow up? For Tamara Clegg, the answers were found in the North Carolina Mathematics and Science Education Network (NC-MSEN) Pre-College Program at NC State University. Beginning in the sixth grade, Tamara participated in the program that is designed to prepare underserved students for careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and education.
Today, she is one of the program’s success stories. For seven years, Clegg participated in the NC-MSEN Pre-College Program at NC State University. After high school, she earned a BS in Computer Science from NCSU and is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Georgia Tech.
