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Mathematica Projects to Accompany Calculus, Fifth Edition 1. Consider assigning one project per week during the term, excluding the first week of the term (during which students are settling into their routine) and the last week of the term (during which students are studying for final exams). 2. In a first term course, assign the first two projects: A Brief Mathematica Tutorial: Part 1, Arithmetic and Simple Algebra (this is actually a "must"), and work through them at the end of the first week of the term, in front of the class (using a computer and overhead projector) before having students try them. This will allow you to illustrate and discuss how to get Mathematica up and running, editing, and some practical aspects of using Mathematica. (Working through these projects will be appreciated by those students who have little or no computer experience.) 3. Consider distributing guidelines (such as one of the following) to your class. The first might be used for a class of Mathematica/computer novices (for first term Calculus students?): it announces a policy permitting students to work together in teams. The second is for a class of Mathematica/computer veterans: it announces a policy requiring students to do individual work. Guidelines for the Novice 4. Consider "pregrading" projects. Grading projects is not time-consuming: with a little experience it is not difficult to learn what to look for, and be able to grade a project in a few seconds. (In addition to key lines of Mathematica output, one of the things to look for is the graphics; they are easy to find and quick to assess. Another thing to look for is the work that is to be done by hand: it is very easy to distinguish between the student who has made an effort and the one who has not.) When using these projects, I designate a due date (normally the day before the next major class exam). If the student turns in the project prior to the due date and it is correct, I accept it (and keep it); if the project has any mistakes, I point them out (without worrying about specific point deductions) and return it for correction. I go through this as many times as is necessary for every student and for every project. The key to doing this is, as indicated above, that grading is a very fast and easy process. "Pregrading" is nondestructive, it establishes communication with students, and it avoids the headaches associated with deciding how much partial credit to give. (Where corrections are necessary only to hand-work, I attach my comments to the student on gummed notes so that the student does not have to go back to a computer to run off a clean copy.) 5. Students should be strongly advised to make electronic back-ups of their work. In conjunction with pregrading, if a student makes an input mistake or a mess of one printed assignment, and wants to try it again, it's very easy to work through and run off another hard copy if the original is backed up. 6. The projects described in these web pages are not intended to stand alone. Beyond the tutorials in the first term, going over projects in detail in class is not necessary; but taking a few seconds to say something about them when the time is right will help better integrate them with class and with the text. 7. If a novice Mathematica/computer student transfers into your class after the first few weeks of the term, they should work through the two tutorials mentioned above (item 2), and at least read (if not work through) the projects you've assigned so far. This applies to first, second, and third term courses. You might want to consider preparing summaries of commands used in the material you've chosen to cover, as an aid for both your transfers and for your other students; but consider using these summaries only as an aid, and not as a list of commands to be memorized. 8. Consider asking a question on each exam that addresses the Calculus in the projects assigned for that exam if that material might otherwise not be covered. One reason for doing this is to make sure students are learning from the projects, and not inappropriately Òcutting cornersÓ. Allowing novice Mathematica/computer students to work in groups, having students include their name and date on each project, having each student do something by hand on each project, and pregrading are further disincentives to "cut corners". (Having a student write their name on a project they've done is no insurance that someone else won't copy it, but it may act as a disincentive to give one's work away.) Also remember that changing points, intervals, functions, etc., can defeat "student archives". |