Re: total newbie
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg111080] Re: total newbie
- From: Helen Read <hpr at together.net>
- Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2010 02:11:39 -0400 (EDT)
- References: <i1u1u5$7ou$1@smc.vnet.net>
- Reply-to: HPR <read at math.uvm.edu>
On 7/18/2010 1:03 AM, David Park wrote: > > It really would be nice if the public thought enough of Mathematica that > young people were exposed to it early Yes, but: > and didn't have to learn the basics in > the middle of some course dealing with substantial material. In my experience, it really is not difficult for students to pick up Mathematica by using it in a university level calculus class. I spend a grand total of one class period during the first week getting them up and running, and after that we use Mathematica routinely, without making a fuss about it. And now with the Classroom Assistant palette, the learning curve is very gentle. I don't have to say a word about syntax on Day 1. I just get the students started with Classroom Assistant, showing them where to find Define Function, Plot, Table, and a few other things, and let them go to it. They pick up Mathematica syntax _on their own_ over the next couple of weeks. After a while they are mostly typing things in themselves, and rarely use the Classroom Assistant. Every one of them is pretty good at it by the end of the semester. -- Helen Read University of Vermont