Ebook: Calculus Renewal: Issues for Undergraduate Mathematics Education in the Next Decade

Calculus Reform. Or, as many would prefer, calculus renewal. These are terms that, for better or worse, have become a part of the vocabulary in mathematics departments across the country. The movement to change the nature of the calculus course at the undergraduate and secondary levels has sparked discussion and controversy in ways as diverse as the actual changes. Such interactions range from "coffee pot conversations" to university curriculum committee agendas to special sessions on calculus renewal at regional and national conferences. But what is the significance of these activities? Where have we been and where are we going with calculus and, more importantly, the entire scope of undergraduate mathematics education? In April 1996, I received a fellowship from the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). This fellowship afforded me the opportunity to work in residence at NSF on a number of evaluation projects, including the national impact of the calculus reform movement since 1988. That project resulted in countless communications with the mathematics community and others about the status of calculus as a course in isolation and as a significant player in the overall undergraduate mathematics and science experience for students (and faculty). While at NSF (and through a second NSF grant received while at the American Association for Higher Education), I also was part of an evaluation project for the Institution-wide Reform (IR) program.

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The movement to change the nature of the calculus course at the undergraduate and secondary levels has sparked discussion and controversy in ways as diverse as the actual changes. The first years of the calculus reform movement were characterized by a whirlwind of ideas concerning the organization of the course and the associated curriculum.
The papers contained within Calculus Renewal: Issues for UndergraduateMathematics Education in the Next Decade will spark a renewed interest in the endeavor embarked upon over 10 years ago when the first calculus grants were awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). This book intends to address: relating mathematics to other disciplines; determining the appropriate mathematical skill for students exiting first-year collegiate mathematics courses; determining the appropriate role of technology; determining the appropriate role of administrators in the change process; and evaluating the progress and impact of curricular change.

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The movement to change the nature of the calculus course at the undergraduate and secondary levels has sparked discussion and controversy in ways as diverse as the actual changes. The first years of the calculus reform movement were characterized by a whirlwind of ideas concerning the organization of the course and the associated curriculum.
The papers contained within Calculus Renewal: Issues for UndergraduateMathematics Education in the Next Decade will spark a renewed interest in the endeavor embarked upon over 10 years ago when the first calculus grants were awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). This book intends to address: relating mathematics to other disciplines; determining the appropriate mathematical skill for students exiting first-year collegiate mathematics courses; determining the appropriate role of technology; determining the appropriate role of administrators in the change process; and evaluating the progress and impact of curricular change.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xii
Calculus Renewal in the Context of Undergraduate SMET Education....Pages 1-10
The Goals of the Calculus Course....Pages 11-22
Renewal in Collegiate Mathematics Education....Pages 23-40
Calculus Renewal and the World of Work....Pages 41-51
Technology and Calculus....Pages 53-68
Renewing the Precursor Courses....Pages 69-90
Program Evaluation and Undergraduate Mathematics Renewal....Pages 91-102
Redesigning the Calculus Sequence at a Research University....Pages 103-120
Politics and Professional Beliefs in Evaluation....Pages 121-146
Crossing the Discipline Boundaries to Improve Undergraduate Mathematics Education....Pages 147-157
Back Matter....Pages 159-167

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The movement to change the nature of the calculus course at the undergraduate and secondary levels has sparked discussion and controversy in ways as diverse as the actual changes. The first years of the calculus reform movement were characterized by a whirlwind of ideas concerning the organization of the course and the associated curriculum.
The papers contained within Calculus Renewal: Issues for UndergraduateMathematics Education in the Next Decade will spark a renewed interest in the endeavor embarked upon over 10 years ago when the first calculus grants were awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). This book intends to address: relating mathematics to other disciplines; determining the appropriate mathematical skill for students exiting first-year collegiate mathematics courses; determining the appropriate role of technology; determining the appropriate role of administrators in the change process; and evaluating the progress and impact of curricular change.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xii
Calculus Renewal in the Context of Undergraduate SMET Education....Pages 1-10
The Goals of the Calculus Course....Pages 11-22
Renewal in Collegiate Mathematics Education....Pages 23-40
Calculus Renewal and the World of Work....Pages 41-51
Technology and Calculus....Pages 53-68
Renewing the Precursor Courses....Pages 69-90
Program Evaluation and Undergraduate Mathematics Renewal....Pages 91-102
Redesigning the Calculus Sequence at a Research University....Pages 103-120
Politics and Professional Beliefs in Evaluation....Pages 121-146
Crossing the Discipline Boundaries to Improve Undergraduate Mathematics Education....Pages 147-157
Back Matter....Pages 159-167
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