 fix-email.blogspot.com More FIX on the NET @ FIX University Cultural Campus 500 × 500 - 86 k - jpg |  feriacali.blogspot.com Juan Manuel Echavarría, artista @ FIX University Campus 360 × 360 - 22 k - jpg | inglesagilfix.blogspot... Inglesa Gil: newsRus.com @ FIX University 440 × 306 - 78 k |  a01-fix.blogspot.com Agenda Cultural @ FIX University Campus 365 × 250 - 74 k - jpg |
 paola2000.blogspot.com Luis Hernández Mellizo @ FIX University Campus "Lugar A Dudas" 1182 × 709 - 345 k - jpg | paginadeanamariagomes.... Premio Alfonso Bonilla Aragón @ FIX University 900 × 605 - 115 k |  inglesagilfix.blogspot... 53 Feria de Cali, Colombia @ FIX University 500 × 339 - 156 k - jpg |  campuscultural.blogspo... Juan Bautista Toro Toro @ FIX University Campus 500 × 331 - 23 k - jpg |
 newsrus.blogspot.com Marcos López @ FIX University 1225 × 1227 - 238 k - jpg | newsrus.blogspot.com Premio Alfonso Bonilla Aragón @ FIX University 900 × 605 - 157 k |  mfaitalproductionartsf... Visual Arts Master of Fine Arts @ FIX University 500 × 334 - 28 k - jpg |  feriacali.blogspot.com Juan Manuel Echavarría, artista @ FIX University Campus 360 × 360 - 106 k - jpg |
campuscultural.blogspo... Agenda Cultural @ Cultural Campus: Agenda Cultural @ FIX University Campus ... 336 × 363 - 57 k |  campuscultural.blogspo... Le Tour De France 2012 @ newsRus FIX University 960 × 440 - 55 k - jpg | fixrecstay.blogspot.com fixrecstay: FIX University newsRus.com looks @ MCI Communication Apollo ... 1000 × 667 - 105 k |  campuscultural.blogspo... Agenda Cultural @ Cultural Campus: Merry Christmas from FIX University ... 400 × 309 - 28 k - jpg |
 lisfix.blogspot.com FIX University Looks @ Domus Academy 468 × 710 - 47 k - jpg |  feriacali.blogspot.com ESCINEDIGITAL @ Aristi Present Opera Prima on FIX University Campus 832 × 1023 - 325 k - jpg | blogger-index.com Scott McKenzie Remembered @ FIX University Cultural Campus 585 × 439 - 31 k |  claudiacristobal.blogs... Claudia: Olympic Standings @ FIX University Cultural Campus / Ruben Limardo ... 600 × 360 - 46 k - jpg |
Dear FIX,
Thank you for signing up for Introduction to Mathematical Thinking! The goal of the course is to help you develop a valuable mental ability – a powerful way of thinking that our ancestors have developed over three thousand years.
If you are starting a college math major (or another math-dependent major) this year or next, this online course helps you make the transition from school math, which focuses on learning procedures to solve highly stereotyped problems, to university mathematics, which is about how to think a certain way to solve real problems, problems that can arise from the everyday world or from science, or from within mathematics itself. (Your college may well have what is called a transition course; this online course ie designed to be valuable as a supplement to that class.) Because mathematical thinking is a valuable life skill, however, anyone over the age of 17 or so could benefit from taking the course.
Mathematical thinking is not the same as doing mathematics – at least not as mathematics is typically presented in our school system. Let me give you an analogy. If we compare mathematics with the automotive world, school math corresponds to learning to drive. In the automotive equivalent to university mathematics, in contrast, you learn how a car works, how to maintain and repair it, and, if you pursue the subject far enough, how to design and build your own car.
The key to success in high school math is to learn to think inside-the-box. In contrast, a key feature of mathematical thinking is thinking outside-the-box – a valuable ability in today’s world,
Apart from the final week of lectures, there’s very little mathematical content in the course, and you won’t learn any new mathematical procedures. The focus is on learning to think a certain way – to think like a mathematician.
If you have read about these new Massively Open Online Courses, or MOOCs, you will be aware that they are all still very much experimental, so everyone involved is learning as we go along, the students, the support staff, the teaching assistants, and the faculty, like myself. I’m excited to be part of this new experiment, and I’m glad you have decided to join me.
Keith Devlin
