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Abstracts for Session 6

Friday, 2:45 p.m.

6A. Testing Mathematical Understanding vs. Calculator Manipulation in College Algebra , Laurie McManus, St. Louis Community College - Meramec
The ways that we assess student mastery of course material must change in response to the availability of technology. Graphing calculators are useful to enhance student learning, but the use of graphing calculator makes more "traditional" test items trivial. Students who sketch functions using a graphing calculator are demonstrating mastery of the technology but not necessarily mastery or understanding of course material. The presentation will focus on ways to change test items to elicit demonstration of mastery and understanding of course material.
Level of expertise expected of EXPO audience: some knowledge of the graphing calculator- experience teaching with the graphing calculator helpful.

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6B. Combining MapleV & Reform Calculus: Attacking Group Homework , Mariah Birgen, Wartburg College, Waverly, IA
In the past, Maple V labs have followed a very traditional format: here is an example of how to get the program to work; use the example to work through these five problems. We have found this process is the beginning of web sites such as Maple V Sucks (renoir.vill.edu/~gkullber/Maple_Sucks/maple.html) and others. After several years of frustration, I decided to subsume Maple V into my regular group homework assignments. The students are still working the same problems, but they are presented within the Maple V program. Hotlinks to the help sections are included where useful. The greatest advantage to the approach is that some of these problems are not appropriate for Maple V. The students not only learn the program, but also some of its limitations. The program has been in place for one year and preliminary data shows that student attitude, at least, is much improved.
Possible Courses: All levels of Calculus, Differential Equations, Mathematical Modeling.
Level of technical expertise: My students are familiar with the workings of personal computers, but have never used the Maple V program before the course begins. The EXPO audience would be expected to begin at the same level, but some comments will be addressed to those who are somewhat familiar with the program.
www.wartburg.edu/mcsp/birgen

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