Cards In The Classroom Cards in the Classroom : Mathematics and Methods

This report researches the use of a standard deck of playing cards in entry-level college mathematics classrooms. The study looks at published research on the use of cards, and reviews pedagogic concerns directly related to the implementation of playing cards in the classroom--including the appropriateness of manipulatives, the link to cooperative learning, and societal perceptions of card playing. The article discusses natural connections and relationships between cards and topics in current college mathematics curricula, and suggests some diverse activities and demonstrations that directly address topics and techniques in contemporary mathematics. The study also demonstrates that a deck of cards can be useful in modeling, motivating, and teaching the techniques of: elementary probability, elementary statistics, set theory, abstract and linear algebra and their notations, business mathematics, Game Theory, and technical mathematics. Content-focused interactive activities present an alternative approach for math-anxious adults and non-traditional students, who may be disenchanted with a traditional presentation of the mathematics curriculum. Figures 1-3 illustrate major steps in the evolution of the deck as a model and manipulative; generalizations and notions required to access the methods of algebra through playing cards; and kinds of cards and symmetries prior to 19th century advances. (AS) ******************************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * ********************************************************************************