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The purpose of this project is to mentor the development and implementation of new one-year courses at six diverse institutions that are committed to adapting the successful model of Moravian College's course Calculus I with Review. This course, and a special text for it (A Companion to Calculus, Brooks/Cole) were developed and evaluated as part of a 1991-1993 FIPSE grant. The adapting institutions are: DePauw University, The George Washington University, Hudson Valley Community College, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, and the United States Military Academy at West Point.
The new one-year courses at the adapting institutions are to serve the large number of students who are required to take calculus, but are inadequately prepared to succeed. The goal is to increase student understanding of mathematical concepts, develop better mathematical skills, improve morale, and attain a higher rate of completion of the Calculus I course by these students. The "just in time" approach of building and reviewing precalculus concepts and skills as needed in the calculus course will replace the usual remedial pattern of a one-term precalculus course followed by a one-term Calculus I course. The special needs of the students and the curriculum at each institution are recognized in the individual design of the courses, choice of calculus texts, supplemental materials developed, and evaluation instruments used.
The four mentors are: Doris Schattschneider, Alicia Sevilla, Kay Somers (Moravian College mathematics department), and Dennis Ebersole (Northampton Community College mathematics department). They are coauthors of the Companion, intended to be used along with any calculus text, as it provides review of precalculus material and sets the stage for calculus topics. All have taught the integrated course since its inception at Moravian.
Each of the six adapting institutions has a team of three or more faculty members charged with the development of an integrated precalculus/calculus course for their campus, and the institution of the course into the curriculum. During the two-year grant period 1995-1997, the mentors are working closely with the adapting teams as they develop and teach the new courses at their institutions. The mentoring process includes several aspects: 1) a group conference at Moravian College in October of each year for all participants, 2) two-day site visits each spring by the mentors to each of the participating institutions, 3) development and administration of evaluation plans which include common aspects at all institutions so that comparisons may be made, 4) an electronic discussion group that links all project participants, and 5) a Web page about the project and its participants: www.hvcc.edu/academ/schools/las/mas/web/activity.htm#fipse.
During the academic year 1995-1996, two of the adapting institutions, DePauw University and UPR, Mayaguez, taught the integrated courses, while the other institutions used the year for planning and gaining approval for the new courses. All six institutions taught their new courses in the 1996-1997 academic year. First-year results for the two campuses which instituted the new course in 1995 are encouraging: a substantial improvement in the number of underprepared students who completed Calculus I, and positive response toward the course from students. Prior to 1995, the average completion rate for students in the Precalculus-Calculus I sequence at DePauw and at UPR Mayaguez was less than 40%. For the new integrated one-year course in 1995-1996, at DePauw, 72% of the students who enrolled completed it successfully, and at UPR Mayaguez, the figure was 61%. For the fall semester 1996, all six institutions experienced substantially better rates of completion of the fall semester course (compared to the traditional Precalculus course) and very high rates of continuance to the second semester of the course. This announcement is written before final evaluation results for the one-year course are available.
Evaluations on all six campuses track enrollment and attrition figures for the new courses (and compare with those of prior years and any parallel courses), measure understanding of course content and compare with students in parallel courses (using some common test questions), survey student attitudes about the course and learning mathematics, and track student continuance and success in subsequent courses. Data from all campuses will be compiled in a full evaluation report, available Fall 1997. Parts of this report will be posted on the Web site.
WANTED: We welcome inquiries from any campuses who wish to consider instituting a course that integrates precalculus review within a first calculus course.
ONLINE REFERENCE:
http://www.hvcc.edu/academ/schools/las/mas/web/activity.htm#fipse
http://www.hvcc.edu/academ/schools/las/mas/web/activity.htm#fipse
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Doris Schattschneider
Moravian College
Mathematics Department
1200 Main St.
Bethlehem, PA 18018-6650
Tel: 610-861-1373
Fax: 610-861-1462
Doris Schattsehneider
Moravian College
Mathematics Department
1200 Main St.
Bethlehem, PA 18018-6650
Tel: 610-861-1373
Fax: 610-861-1462
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