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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





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