Using a Workshop Approach and Real Applications to Teach Calculus with Review Courses

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9450746 Baxter Workshop Calculus with Review I and II is a unique sequence of courses which integrates a review of fundamental concepts needed to explore ideas in calculus with the study of concepts normally encountered in Calculus I. Materials have been developed with support from the NSF ILI program and the U.S. Department of Education FIPSE program. The goals of this two-year assessment project are to: (1) identify a list of "community norms" - that is, a list of key concepts students who take an integrated pre- calculus/calculus sequence are expected to know; (2) design and implement internal and external assessment tools to evaluate student learning gains and attitudes, with a particular emphasis on the impact of technology; and, (3) track student retention rates, continuation rates, and performance in subsequent mathematics classes and classes in other disciplines that have a calculus prerequisite. Materials are being beta tested in a variety of settings and developers are assisting colleagues in adapting the materials for use at their institutions. Based on outcomes of the assessments undertaken by this project, the Workshop Calculus with I and II instructional materials will be refined and published for widespread dissemination. The results of the project will be published and the assessment tools will be distributed. Workshop Calculus with Review I and II is a integration of pre- calculus concepts with Calculus I material and is designed for students who are not prepared to enter Calculus I. The sequence provides a gateway into the traditional calculus sequence. In the Workshop environment, lectures are replaced by interactive teaching, where students learn by doing and by reflecting on what they have done. In the workshop environment, lectures are replaced by interactive teaching in which no formal distinction is made between classroom and laboratory work. In class, students explore mathematical ideas on their own and discover their own approaches to solving problems, using technology as appropriate and by working collaboratively on tasks in their Student Activity Guides.