Kathleen Offenholley
Professor
Mathematics
EMAIL: koffenholley@bmcc.cuny.edu
Office: N-599A
Office Hours: Usually in the early afternoon
Phone: +1 (212) 220-1358
Hello! I’m Dr. Kathleen Offenholley. I live in Brooklyn, NY. I’ve been teaching math for 20 plus years. Recently, I was one of five faculty at BMCC to be recognized with a distinguished award. I was also featured in Marks of Excellence and in an article in the Hechinger Report. Besides teaching, my main interests include quilting and karate. There’s an article on the CUNY math blog about me that includes a picture of my favorite quilt, and talks about my karate school, which is part of an anti-violence organization that teaches self defense.
My current research interests include gaming in mathematics education. I am a steering committee member of CUNY Games Network, which connects educators from every campus and discipline at CUNY who are interested in games, simulations, and other forms of interactive teaching. We seek to facilitate the pedagogical uses of both digital and non-digital games, improve student success, and encourage research and scholarship in the developing field of games-based learning. http://games.commons.gc.cuny.edu/
Expertise
Teacher Education, Mathematics Anxiety, Math Education, Educational Technology, Developmental Mathematics Education, Computing and Technology, Adult Education
My Blog on games in math education can be found here.
Article on the Cuny Math Blog.
Degrees
- Ph.D. Columbia University, Teachers College, Math Education,2007
Courses Taught
- This course is a combination of arithmetic and elementary algebra. It includes the arithmetic of integers, fractions, decimals, and percent. In addition, such topics as signed numbers, algebraic representation, operations with polynomials, factoring, the solution of simultaneous linear equations of two variables, and graphing are covered.
Students who passed MAT 12, MAT 14, MAT 41, MAT 51, MAT 56, MAT 160, MAT 161, MAT 56.5, MAT 150.5 cannot take MAT 161.5.
Course Syllabus - This course is the first algebra course offered at the College. It includes such topics as algebraic representation, signed numbers, operations with polynomials, factoring, the solution of linear equations, the coordinate system, the solution of simultaneous linear equations of two variables, and graphing. This course is designed to prepare students for the CUNY Freshman Skills Assessment Test required for transfer to the upper division of CUNY, as well as for more advanced math courses. If a student passes MAT 12, the student should not register for MAT 51, since MAT 12 combines MAT 8 and MAT 51.
Students who passed MAT 12, MAT 14, MAT 41, MAT 51, MAT 56, MAT 160, MAT 161, MAT 56.5, MAT 150.5 cannot take MAT 161.5.
Course Syllabus - This course is the second algebra course offered at the college. It is open to students who have completed elementary algebra or its equivalent. It includes such topics as: factoring, solutions of linear and quadratic equations, trigonometric relationships, exponents, logarithms, and the graphs of quadratic equations.
Students who passed MAT 12, MAT 14, MAT 41, MAT 51, MAT 56, MAT 160, MAT 161, MAT 56.5, MAT 150.5 cannot take MAT 161.5.
Course Syllabus - This course covers computations and measurements essential in the health science professional fields. Topics include: units and measurements, ratios, solutions and dosages.
Prerequisites: MAT 12, MAT 14, MAT 41, MAT 51 or MAT 161.5
Course Syllabus - This course includes the study of several mathematical systems. The role of mathematics in modern culture, the role of postulational thinking in all mathematics, and the scientific method are discussed, The course considers topics such as the nature of axiom truth and validity; the concept of number; the concept of sets; scales of notation, and groups and fields.
Prerequisites: MAT12, MAT 14, MAT 41, MAT 51 or MAT 161.5
Note: This course satisfies the Pathways: Mathematical & Quantitative Reasoning requirement.
Course Syllabus - This course covers basic statistics, including: measures of central tendency, measures of dispersion, graphs, correlation, the regression line, confidence intervals, the significance of differences, and hypothesis testing, including z-tests, t-tests, and chi-square tests.
Prerequisites: MAT 12, MAT 14, MAT 41, MAT 51 or MAT 161.5
Course Syllabus - The course aims to teach students how to think competently about quantitative information. Students learn how to take real world problems, translate them into mathematics, and solve them. Topics include thinking critically, numbers in the real world, financial management, statistical reasoning, probability, and mathematical modeling.
Students who passed MAT 12, MAT 14, MAT 41, MAT 51, MAT 56, MAT 160, MAT 161, MAT 56.5, MAT 150.5 cannot take MAT 161.5.
Course Syllabus - This course aims to teach students how to think competently about quantitative information. Students learn how to take real world problems, translate them into the language of mathematics, and solve them. Topics include thinking critically, numbers in the real world, financial management, statistical reasoning, probability, and mathematical modeling. This course satisfies the mathematic requirement for the CUNY Core. It is recommended for students who do not intend to pursue mathematics, science or any curriculum requiring the students to take Calculus.
Students who passed MAT 12, MAT 14, MAT 41, MAT 51, MAT 56, MAT 160, MAT 161, MAT 56.5, MAT 150.5 cannot take MAT 161.5.
Note: This course satisfies the Pathways: Mathematical & Quantitative Reasoning requirement.
Course Syllabus - This course covers basic algebraic and trigonometric skills, algebraic equations, and functions. Topics include: mathematical induction, complex numbers, and the binomial theorem.
Prerequisite: MAT 56 or MAT 56.5
Course Syllabus - This course covers the first half of the mathematics recommended by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) for prospective elementary school teachers, including problem solving, sets, logic, numeration, computation, integers, rational and real numbers, and number theory. This course meets the mathematics requirement only for students in the ECE program. Students who have taken MAT 100 may not receive credit for this course.
Prerequisite: MAT 56 or MAT 56.5 or MAT 206.5
Course Syllabus - This course covers the second half of the mathematics recommended by NCTM for prospective elementary school teachers, including probability, statistics, plane and transformational geometry, congruence, and similarity. This course meets the mathematics requirements ... for students in the ECE program. Students who have taken MAT 150 may not receive credit for this course.
Prerequisite: MAT 214
Course Syllabus - This is an integrated course in analytic geometry and calculus, applied to functions of a single variable. It covers a study of rectangular coordinates in the plane, equations of conic sections, functions, limits, continuity, related rates, differentiation of algebraic and transcendental functions, Rolle's Theorem, the Mean Value Theorem, maxima and minima, and integration.
Prerequisite: MAT 206 or MAT 206.5
Course Syllabus - This course includes the study of several mathematical systems. The role of mathematics in modern culture, the role of postulational thinking in all of mathematics, and the scientific method are discussed. The course considers topics such as: the nature of axioms, truth and validity; the concept of number; the concept of set; scales of notation; and groups and fields.
Prerequisites: MAT 12, MAT 14, MAT 41, MAT 51 or MAT 161.5
Course Syllabus
Research and Projects
- NSF Algebra Concept Inventory — a grant to study the concepts underlying algebraic reasoning for adults.
- NSF ATE Grant
An $875,794 NSF grant that funded an immersive summer STEM program and the development of a game-based developmental math course for aspiring STEM majors. Our three free games for algebra and precalculus are available for MAC, PC or iphone/ipad (see below).
xPonum is available in the App Store for iPad (search for xPonum) or as a free PC or Mac download at https://mathgamesforstem.wordpress.com/
xPonum is a puzzle game in which players collect gems using a beam of energy. Game play emphasizes exploration, so that players experience mathematics as being about trying out ideas, not just about already having the answer.
At the basic level, in the first world, players use slope and intercepts and must find points along the line, using the slider to shift the line. This level can be played in an introductory algebra class. At later levels, players explore shifts in parabolas, cubic and trigonometric functions, which are suitable as pre-calculus topics.
Project Sampson is available in the App Store for iPad (search for Sampson) or as a free PC or Mac download at https://mathgamesforstem.wordpress.com/
Project Sampson is an adventure and resource management game for middle school math up to College Algebra. It is designed to give players an appreciation for when linear equations are used, and for how Geographic Information Systems are used in disaster preparedness. Players fly to locations across the world to save the planet from disasters, using the energy of the ship to slow down the rate of damage done (the slope) based on how many turns (x) until the disaster hits.
Algebots is available in the App store for iPad & iPhone, and you can download it free for PC or Mac https://mathgamesforstem.wordpress.com/
Algebots is an equation-solving puzzle game, with little robots who cheer when you get the steps right, and fall asleep if you don’t move them around. Equations range from basic to advanced, including absolute value, systems and radical equations. The game emphasizes that solving is about “undoing” – applying the inverse function – to both sides of the equality or inequality.
Publications
Miller, G. and Offenholley, K., A practical guide to discussion in online mathematics courses, in Howard, II, J. (Ed.), Beyers, J. (Ed.). (2020). Teaching and Learning Mathematics Online. New York: Chapman and Hall/CRC
Duncan, R.O., Bisz, J., Boyle, C., Offenholley, K., Smale, M., Stallard, C., & Sturm, D. (Eds.). (2020). Proceedings of the CUNY Games Conference 6.0. New York, NY: The CUNY Games Network. https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_pubs/587/
Offenholley, K., Hirsch, J., Milman, Y. (2019/2020) So, You Want to Write an OER? Three Authors Share Triumphs, Pitfalls, and Options. Mathematics Teaching Research Journal. Vol 11. https://commons.hostos.cuny.edu/mtrj/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2020/02/v11n34-So-You-Want-to-Write-an-OER.pdf
Wladis, C., Offenholley, K., Licwinko, S., Dawes, D. and Lee, J. K. (2018). Development of the Elementary Algebra Concept Inventory for the College Context, Mathematical Association of America (MAA) Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education (RUME) Conference, San Diego, CA, 2/23/18.
Wladis, C., Verkuilen, J., McCluskey, S., Offenholley, K., Dawes, D., Licwinko, S., Lee, J.K. (2018). Challenges in concept inventory creation: the complex relationship between procedural fluency and conceptual understanding. Mathematical Association of America (MAA) Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education (RUME-NE) Northeast Regional Conference, New Brunswick, NJ, 10/6/18.
Wladis, C., Offenholley, K., Licwinko, S., Dawes, D. and Lee, J. K. (2018) Development of the elementary algebra concept inventory for the college context, In T. Fukawa-Connelly, N. Engelke Infante, M. Wawro, S. Brown (Eds.), Proceedings of the 21st Annual Conference on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education. San Diego, CA.
Offenholley, K. (2013) Bundled-Up Babies & Dangerous Ice Cream: Correlation Puzzlers,Mathematics Teacher Magazine
Offenholley, K. Online Tutoring Research Study for Remedial Algebra,UCJC Community College Journal of Research and Practice
A Proof of Concept Study of Game-Based Learning in Higher Education,Simulation and Gaming
An instructor-generated concept framework for elementary algebra in the tertiary context,In T. Dooley, V. Durand-Guerrier & G. Guedet (Eds.), Proceedings of the Tenth Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education. Dubli
Theoretical Framework of Algebraic Concepts for Elementary Algebra, ,In T. Fukawa-Connelly, N. Engelke Infante, M. Wawro, S. Brown (Eds.), Proceedings of the 20th Annual Conference on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Ed
Honors, Awards and Affiliations
I was given the distinguished teacher award at BMCC in 2019:
Professors Recognized for Unique Contributions to Student Learning
Additional Information
My dissertation was a discourse analysis of online learning, including how student and teacher interaction influences the online conversation. One of my findings: when teachers talk more online, students tend to talk more, too — but if teachers take up more than a certain proportion of the conversation, students talk less. I also found that when teachers use a sort of Socratic questioning style, encouraging students and asking them questions, students tend to interact more with each other, with longer thread lengths.
