U.W. Centers Calculus Reform Survey

The results of the Calculus Reform Survey sent out to the U.W. Centers Mathematics Departments in 1994 were quite heterogeneous. They were so inconclusive that no demand emerged for one or even two particular calculus curricula. I have culled from the survey whatever may be of some interest for authors of grant proposals and instructors wanting resources or advice.

Thanks to Ron Gutschow, John Shaw, and Neil Stahl, fellow members of the defunct Calculus Reform Committee. 

                                   Mark Fuller
                                   U.W. Center - Rock County

I. Preferences for DOS versus Macs.

While each Center has the majority of computers with a DOS operating system, four centers have Macs (Fox has 4, Richland has 4, Sheboygan has 2, and Waukesha has 20). All but one Center prefers the DOS option; Waukesha has a mixed preference.

II. Calculus Lab Projects. The "fixed" versus "floating" lab question.

     a.   In response to whether anyone at the Center was
          developing or collecting lab projects for calculus, 9
          Centers answered "yes". Listed are these Centers,
          together with the minimum number of faculty involved in 
          developing/collecting lab projects, and software 
          employed in the projects (if so indicated).

          Center    Number of Faculty   Software Indicated

          BRB       1

          BRN       1                   Derive

          FOX       5                   Derive, Mathematica

          MAN       1                   Derive
                   
          MNT       2

          RCK       1                   QBasic, C in C Appliances

          RLN       1                   Derive

          WAK       6                   Calculus T/L II on Macs

          WSH       3

     b.   Of these nine Centers only 2 (BRB and FOX) preferred a 
          "fixed" lab (traditional computer lab set-up) over a 
          "floating" lab (the students check out or own graphing
          calculators and work on lab projects either on or off 
          campus).

III. Resources. 

     The centers were asked to report if anyone had experience 
     teaching any of the "new" approaches to calculus or had
     attended workshops for the latter.
     (GC = graphing calculator)

     Center    Calculus Course(s)       Related Software

     BRB       Harvard

     BRN       Harvard

     FDL       Harvard                  GC

     FOX       (individual approaches   Derive, Mathematica
                 by FOX faculty)

     MAN       Harvard                  

     MNT       (computers and GC: no    Derive, GC, MPP
                 name given)

     MSF       Harvard                  

     MTH       Harvard, Project Calc,   Mathematica, Derive,
               Ithaca College           GC

     RCK       Harvard, Calculus in a   Grafax, Derive, GC,
               Real and Complex World,  C in C Appliances
               Calculus in Context

     RLN       Harvard, Calculus using 
               Mathematica,             Mathematica on NEXT,
               Calculus in Context      True Basic

     SHB       Harvard

     WAK       (individual approaches   Calculus T/L II
                 by WAK faculty)

     WSH       Harvard                  Derive, GC