Math Applications Shaping Tomorrow (MAST)

This project is adapting "Revitalizing Classroom Teaching and Learning: A Beginning for Two-Year College Mathematics" from Greenville Technical College in South Carolina. It partners with local industry to incorporate problem-solving and real industry-based application into mathematics curriculum at three levels of education: high school, two-year college, and four- year college/university.

Using the pedagogical approach developed in the Greenville project, this project is accomplishing four objectives:

1. Revitalizing the mathematics curriculum with work-based experiences, incorporating technology as both a teaching and a learning tool, and fostering an interactive learning environment.

2. Building a strong connection among high school, community college, four-year college/university and industry by integrating mathematics content and industry-based applications by spiraling through the three levels of education; understanding the similarities and differences in mathematics vocabulary from the academic to the work setting; and improving communication and articulation among the three academic levels and industry.

3. Providing faculty professional development opportunities to support collaborative learning methodology, student engagement in learning and use of appropriate technology.

4. Developing "The Process Guidelines" to revitalize curriculum, using from faculty journals.

The project accomplishes these objectives by:

1. Developing a replicable and self-sustaining infrastructure that builds collaboration between education and industry; highlighted by interaction through shadowing, site visits, classroom visits, and externships;

2. Offering professional development activities to increase teamwork use of technology in the classroom, and knowledge of alternative teaching techniques that target different student learning styles;

3. Class piloting, refining and implementing of new teaching methods, work-based problems, and student interaction within the classroom; and

4. Synthesizing and generalizing faculty journals into a clear manual, "The Process Guidelines".