Abstract:

For the last ten to fifteen years there has been wide exploration of innovative approaches to classroom instruction: the use of the computer in teaching science courses. The results of those explorations have proven that the use of the computer in teaching Calculus courses enhances the students’ understanding. It is well known fact that students have difficulty understanding Calculus, when it is taught in the traditional way: with chalk and blackboard. The traditional method of instruction lacks the advantages of the latest technology to demonstrate the applications of Calculus in the real world.
In August 2010, the Department of Mathematics, Ferris State University statrted developing computerized Maple interactive teaching software for Calculus 1 to improve students’ understanding of the course by using mathematical and scientific abilities of the latest technology. Maple software has been used to make the instruction platform more interactive and dynamic.
This talk is about the results of the development and implementation of the computerized teaching platform for the Calculus 1 course. We will discuss advantages of designing computerized tests, quizzes, lecture notes, and homework problems. We will share with the audience our experience of overcoming difficulties of the development and implementation of the computerized Maple interactive teaching software. We will talk about the methods of preventing the possible academic cheating when the Calculus course is taught with the use of the computerized Maple interactive teaching software. At the end of the talk, we will discuss the statistical results of the implementation of the computerized Calculus course at Ferris State University, Michigan, U.S.A.

Keywords:

Computerized teaching software for the mathematics courses, maple interactive teaching software development for the Calculus course.