A Macintosh Laboratory To Enhance Student Learning In Calculus And Undergraduate Mathematics

卡尔文学院的数学和计算机科学系正在创建一个麦金塔实验室，学生们可以在其中使用数学和其他数学软件进行数学运算。一年级微积分的所有部分都以讲座/实验室的形式教授，每周开会三个小时讲课，每周在实验室上课两个小时。本课程的实验部分是改善学生在微积分方面的体验。学生们正在对数学思想有更深入、更概念化的理解，因为他们摆脱了一些计算限制，可以更容易地使用数学和Macintosh强大的图形功能进行可视化。学生们结对工作，从而促进了合作学习。该实验室配备了19台Macintosh IIvx计算机。该实验室也被用于大多数高级数学课程，但方式略有不同。这些课程的学生已经熟悉了该软件，因此他们的工作更加独立。他们被布置了定期的作业，要求他们自己去实验室使用MATHEMICAL完成作业。

The department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Calvin College is creating a Macintosh laboratory in which students can use Mathematica and other mathematical software to do mathematics. All sections of first-year calculus are being taught in a lecture/lab format, meeting three hours per week for lecture and for one two-hour period each week in the laboratory. The laboratory component of the course is improving the student experience in calculus. Students are gaining a deeper, more conceptual understanding of mathematical ideas because they are freed from some of their computational limitations and can visualize more easily using the powerful graphical capability of Mathematica and the Macintosh. Students are working in pairs; thus facilitating cooperative learning. The laboratory is equipped with 19 Macintosh IIvx computers.The laboratory are also being used in most upper-level mathematics courses, but in a somewhat different way. Students in those courses are already familiar with the software, so they are working more independently. They are given regular assignments that require them to go to the lab on their own to complete the assignment using Mathematica.