Re: What is Mathmatica
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg3209] Re: [mg3193] What is Mathmatica
- From: Preston Nichols <nichols at godel.math.cmu.edu>
- Date: Sat, 17 Feb 1996 14:16:44 -0500
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
tom_bates at city-net.com (Thomas Bates) wrote: >Although I have a general idea what mathematica is I still wonder: >if I used the program to learn calculus would I have learned the >subject just as well as if I learned it the old fashion way? Yes, probably, and perhaps better, but possibly not as well. (How's that for waffling!) In general, how well one learns calculus is affected MUCH more by the teacher, the textbook, the exercises, and the study habits of the student, than by the use or non-use of Mathematica. There are many valuable and instructive uses for Mathematica in a calculus course, but there are many pointless, irrelevant ways to "use" it too. Nothing can be inferred just from the fact that Mathematica is being used. (The same is true for any mathematical computing system, including graphical calculators.) Preston Nichols Visiting Assistant Professor Department of Mathematics Carnegie Mellon University ==== [MESSAGE SEPARATOR] ====