Short essay questions are introduced into the calculus course as a technique to involve students with their own learning. Provides (1) instructions to the student for writing the report; (2) results of using the technique; and (3) reasons for using writing in mathematics classes. (MDH)

Sfard and Thompson (1994) state that what matters most is that educators develop ways of thinking, teaching, and learning mathematics. This study introduced constructive habituation, a new strategy developed to aid both students and teachers in the thinking, teaching, and learning of mathematics. Constructive habituation attempts to unite…

The experience tutoring a student who is blind in four semesters of university calculus is discussed. The mechanics, instructional strategies employed, and the challenges encountered are examined as they relate to teaching mathematics. It was found there are important similarities and also differences as compared to sighted students in teaching…

To help students understand the real-world applications of calculus, our calculus students all take part in a lab. This is not another "computer lab" but a lab where the students perform experiments and then collect and analyze the data. The students are able to verify for themselves many of physical claims that are left as theory in…

This report compares the results of three successive second year calculus classes, in which part of each class was taught the concept of uniform convergence of a sequence of functions by an interactive COMIT module, while the remainder was given lectures in the traditional manner. An outline of the teaching techniques used in the module is…

Discusses the debate concerning the teaching of calculus. States that some consider calculus reform urgent because of the course's position in undergraduate studies. Considers the quality of mathematics instruction in the computer era. Cites examples of institutional experiments with new course designs. (CW)

Among teachers of mathematics throughout the world there has recently been manifested a notable increase of interest in all educational work. This interest is due in part to the present general agitation in every educational line, in part to the influence of such related departments as physics, in part to the increased demands of industry, and in…

Describes the results of a teacher's exploration of the effects of using graphing calculators in calculus instruction in sections other than those that are experimental. Two experimental and two traditional sections of Calculus I and II participated in the study. (DDR)

Presents an interdisciplinary project for precalculus classes that allows students to increase their understanding of the mathematics of transformations of periodic functions and helps them see mathematics in art. Uses an applet that produces high-quality graphs and real works of art by using combinations of transformations of the sine and cosine…

Illustrates how muMATH can be used for manipulating abstract differentiation rules, optimization, implicit differentiation, related rules, and verifying the chain rule. (MVL)

Offers calculus students and teachers the opportunity to motivate and discover the first Fundamental Theorem of Calculus (FTC) in an experimental, experiential, inductive, intuitive, vernacular-based manner. Starting from the observation that a distance traveled at a constant speed corresponds to the area inside a rectangle, the FTC is discovered,…

Various ways in which computers can be used in the classroom depending on the subject, students' background, and individual teaching style are discussed. A way to evaluate professional software packages for use in the classroom is included. (KR)

A way in which to shift the focus away from lecture and the professor during class time to student-centered discussion groups is presented. An exercise used in a course on chemical process analysis that uses the group discussion method is included. (KR)

Discusses a pedagogical approach to calculus based on the question: What kinds of problems should students be able to solve? Includes a discussion of types of problems and curriculum threads for such a course. Describes a projects-based calculus with examples of projects and classroom activities. (Author/MDH)

Several types of physics activities that use real-world problems to motivate learners, use computers to assist in developing conceptual understandings, connect problem situations to mathematical models, and use the models to analyze other real-world problems are presented. The topics of racing sports, sailing, and damped harmonic oscillations are…