Dr. Sam Prough
<b>Department: </b>Mathematical Sciences<br><b>Research Area: </b>Children's math learning in out-of-school settings
Department: Mathematical Sciences
Research Focus: O
Potential Student Project(s):
Students will be involved in a research project on the existence of math learning opportunities in everyday public settings for children. This will most likely focus on what math is embedded in children's museums but could adapt to consider other children's spaces such as public libraries or within children's board games.
Attributes/skills/background sought in undergraduate:
I am looking for students that are interested in children's math learning. Strong organizational skills and a willingness to learn new things are important. It would be beneficial if students have also had prior experience interacting with children.
Mentoring Plan: The student and I will meet once a week for 1 hour, either in person or virtually. During these sessions, the student and I will work together to:
• Create research goals for the semester
• Review ways to read, summarize, and organize relevant literature
• Discuss approaches to collecting field notes
• Analyze any collected data together
• Co-write a proposal for a conference about our findings
The student will be expected to work on the project for 5 hours/week, including the one-on one meeting to extend the tasks we discuss together. If relevant, and of interest, this might also involve trips to local libraries and children's museum for research purposes.
Contact: (765) 285-9021, RB 431