Project CALC Mathematica notebooks.
- To: mathgroup at yoda.physics.unc.edu
- Subject: Project CALC Mathematica notebooks.
- From: WBARKER at bowdoin.edu (William H. Barker)
- Date: Mon, 6 Jul 1992 16:59:37 -0400 (EDT)
An Introduction to Project CALC
July, 1992
Project CALC ("Calculus As a Laboratory Course"), developed at
Duke University with major support from the National Science Foundation,
is part of a nationwide effort to revitalize the teaching of
calculus. The project represents a major revision of the
calculus curriculum, built around (1) selected problem areas in
the natural and social sciences that motivate the introduction
of calculus techniques, (2) a discovery-based computer
laboratory, (3) writing assignments which place the emphasis of
the course on conceptual understanding, not solely on
computational skills, and (4) non-traditional instructional
methods which actively involve students in the learning process
and foster cooperation and team work in all aspects of the
course.
At Duke the Project CALC computing materials are built around
MathCAD and Derive on MS-DOS machines. A major advantage of
this configuration is the low cost of both hardware and
software. At Bowdoin College the materials have been reformulated
around Mathematica, a sophisticated integration of
text-processing, numeric and symbolic computation, graphics, and
programming. To support this conversion, Bowdoin has been
awarded grants from both the National Science Foundation and the
Alden Trust. Mathematica versions of thirty-seven labs
currently exist, covering all three semesters of the Project
CALC program.
Further information regarding the Mathematica laboratories can be
obtained from
Prof. William H. Barker
Department of Mathematics
Bowdoin College
Brunswick, ME 04011
(207) 725-3571
(207) 725-3123 (FAX)
wbarker at bowdoin.edu
The electronic Mathematica notebooks, designed for the Macintosh, are available
via anonymous ftp from Bowdoin College. If you are interested in receiving the
notebooks in this manner, send a message to William Barker requesting
further instructions.
The Project CALC curriculum and text materials are under development by a
team at Duke University under the direction of David Smith and Lawrence
Moore---questions concerned primarily with curriculum issues should be
directed to them at
Project CALC
Department of Mathematics
Duke University
Durham, NC 27706
(919) 660-2825
(919) 660-2821 (FAX)
das at math.duke.edu
lang at math.duke.edu
Project CALC materials---including a Mathematica laboratory manual---will
be published by D. C. Heath and Company. For information on ordering these
items, contact
College Mathematics Department
D. C. Heath and Company
125 Spring Street
Lexington, MA 02173
(617) 862-6650