Diana Dwan's Career at Yavapai College
Conferences Attended:
- American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC) national conferences: 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997,2001,2002, 2005, 2007, 2009. Presided at sessions in 1992 - 1994, 1997, 2001, and 2002.
- Upon invitation from the National Science Foundation (NSF), participated in a panel of professors that ranked proposals in the area of mathematics applying for NSF funding in 1993.
- Applied and was selected as one of thirty-five instructors chosen to attend Mathematical Association of America's Project CLUME (Cooperative Leaning in Undergraduate Mathematics Education), July 11-21, 1995, Purdue University.
- Follow-up CLUME conferences, June, 1996, and June, 2000.
- Attended Jensen Learning Brain Expo, January 16-19, 2009.
Innovative Teaching Strategies:
- Utilized cooperative learning methods in math classes and then expanded the use of cooperative learning using methods learned at AMA TYC conferences. After attending the CLUME conference in 1995, utilized cooperative learning extensively in all math classes taught.
- 1996-2015: Instructed cooperative groups to work at the board, so that everyone could see the problem and contribute to the solution and gave directions which enabled students to work together so that no one student dominated and all students understood the solution.
- Took role by having each student answer the "question of the day," such as "If you could cure any disease, what would it be?" or "What would you do if you won the lottery?" This served, as one student wrote in a letter, "to focus the class" and "it really gathered everyone's attention every day." It also served to establish a safer, more cooperative class atmosphere.
- Introduced the use of manipulatives in Mathematics for Elementary Teachers and Fundamentals of Mathematics. Manipulatives were especially effective for communicating some concepts to Fundamental of Mathematics students.
Research:
After attending the conference on Brain-based Leaning, she introduced the use of music in math classes, particularly during group work.
Performed a research project in the fall of 1995 as a follow-up to the CLUME conference. Taught two Intermediate Algebra classes, utilizing cooperative learning extensively in one of the classes but not the other. Within a few weeks, the difference between the achievement of the two classes was so significant that the project coordinator recommended utilizing cooperative learning in the second Intermediate Algebra class as well. The goal of the project, which was to find out if the use of cooperative learning made a difference in achievement, had been achieved.
Presentations:
- Workshop on "Using Cooperative Learning in Undergraduate Math Classes" presented to full-time and adjunct Yavapai College math faculty on the Verde Campus, 8/25/1995.
- Revised and expanded workshop on "Using Cooperative Learning in Mathematics Classes" presented to Yavapai College math faculty April 19, 2002, 9:30-12:00 & 1 :00-3 :30.
- Increasing Student Success with Cooperative Learning, Yavapai College Winter Institute, 12/12/2011, co-presented with Tina Luffman.
- "A Magical Method for Factoring a General Trinomial," presented at the ArizMA TYC fall conference, October 2013.
Significant Curriculum Development:
Created the course "Math Made Easy," designed to teach ways to perform basic math operations that are easier than traditional methods, with the goal of convincing students that they could succeed in mathematics.
Committee Work:
- Technology in Mathematics Education (TIME) Committee, AMATYC, 1992-2005.
- Foundation/Developmental Mathematics Education Committee, AMATYC, 2005-2015.
- Professional Growth Committee, 2000-2015.
- Developmental Education Committee, 2012-2015.
Diana Dwan retired in 2015 and was given Emeritus Faculty status in 2019.
