Title: Redesigning the Calculus Sequence at a Research University
Speaker: Harvey Keynes, University of Minnesota--Twin Cities
The School of Mathematics, University of Minnesota, is developing a
new calculus sequence for students in mathematics, science, and
engineering which incorporates changes in content and methods of
instruction. An innovative feature involves student exploration of
mathematical ideas and complex, open-ended, interdisciplinary
applications using interactive features of the World Wide Web. This
talk describes some of the special features of the sequence. Student
attitudes about the usefulness of the pedagogical and curricular
components, and how these approaches affect their learning are
analyzed. Quantitative data are presented that compare the
achievement and retention of students in the new sequence with a
control group from the standard calculus sequence. Future directions
for refinements and a new second year course are discussed.