A Case Study in the History of Calculus Reform

Andrew Balas, Marc Goulet, Alex Smith

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

Broad Classification of Undergraduate Institutions

LargePh.D Granting

Regional Draw,Primarily

Undergraduate

National Draw,Small

Liberal ArtsLarge Lectures,

T.A.’s for discussion sections

Classes of about 30Faculty do all the

teachingSmall Classes

Research Critical for tenure

Teaching Critical for tenure

Large FacultyDepartment of about 35 Faculty

Small Department

Characteristics of UW-Eau Claire

• About 10,000 students, mostly regional• About six sections of calculus with 30

students per section• The Calculus Students::

Math Education & Liberal Arts• Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Math,

Geology…no Engineering

• Faculty size of about 35…Consensus?

What Influences Institutionalization of Reform?• Department size…is it possible to reach a

consensus?

• Teaching or Classroom Environment– Often times this is something faculty have very

little control over! – “We got renovated.”

M. Prosser and K. Trigwell [1997]

Perceptions of the teaching environment and its relationship to approaches to teaching.

British Journal of Educational Psychology, 67, 25-35

A Combined Mathematics Laboratory and Classroom

Environment

Marc Goulet, Michael Penkava, Alex Smith

National Science Foundation

Course, Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement Grants