Is%20IT%20it%20?

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Is IT it ?

• The need for IT in a modern calculus syllabus

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Overview

• IT in teaching
• IT in calculus teaching

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Common scenario?

• Get a lot of money to set up a virtual-cyber-hyper
  -multimedia-interactive-learning-lab.
• Get a VIP to give an opening speech about the new
  millennium and the knowledge economy.
• Hold a press conference and say youre world
  class.
• Leave the program to be run by overworked,
  undertrained teachers.
• Great place for students to use chat and Napster.

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Some problems

• IT fetishism. IT is no panacea. Emperors new
  cloths.
• How is it going to fit into the syllabus? What is
  the goal? Is the point only to look good?
• Courseware developed by people with little
  pedagogical background. To much multimedia!
• IT can be very time consuming!
• Easier to get money for hardware than for
  training of staff.

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Does IT add value?

• Who wants to read lecture notes on the web?
• Who wants to watch video on the web?
• The goal is to do things you cannot do using
  traditional tools.
• IT can only add value to teaching that is already
  good.

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Some ways IT adds value

• Animation
• Discussion forums

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Calculus teaching

• Calculus is about calculating.
• Computers have changed mathematics. We need to
  change the way we teach mathematics.
• Realistic problems. Show what calculus can do.
• We must give people useful skills. Programming.
  Research. Writing. Presentations.

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CAS vs. calculators

• Computer Algebra Systems (CAS)
• Graphing calculators
• CAS front ends
• Calculus Live
• Harvard Consortium
• Calculus reform

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Rule of three

• Analytical
• Graphical
• Numerical

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Publicity

• The Mathematics of the Public Holidays of
  Singapore
• Astronomical Society of Singapore
• Friday 25/5 2001, 7.30pm
• Kent Vale (opposite Clementi Road entrance to
  NUS), G Block, 2nd Floor Community Hall (above
  the minimart).l

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Web

• http//www.math.nus.edu.sg/aslaksen/