Projects-Based Calculus at Cornell: A Cross-Referenced History

Projects-Based Calculus at Cornell A Cross-referenced History (Others have brought Multivariable Calculus with Maple to Cornell)

Spring 93: In his second consecutive semester of teaching second semester calculus (math 112), graduate student instructor Harel Barzilai introduces student activities in groups and oral exams (presentations at the board by students to him) in his class. (Also took students to Dept Seminar)

Fall 93: Graduate students Harel Barzilai and Maria Gargova attend a talk at the Occasional Seminar on Undergraduate Teaching (OSUT) by Cynthia Woodburn of the University of New Mexico (UNM) about Student Projects in Calculus.

Maria and Harel discuss, during office hours, their positive impressions of Cynthia's talk, and whether these ideas can be brought to Cornell.
- First Email. (Nov 4 93)
- Fellow graduate student and math 112 instructor Lisa Orlandi and others interested are sent a report about Maria's and Harel's activities...
- ...and about the problems with the current math 112
- Harel writes up and sends the First Draft Proposal to reform math 112
Harel and Maria talk to Tom Rishel, Director of Undergraduate Teaching at the Math Department, about the idea of bringing calculus reform to Cornell.
Tom Rishel, after asking some questions to ascertain that they have a reasonably concrete idea of what they want (adding projects and cooperative learning to first/second semester calculus courses, using UNM materials, etc), encourages them to go forward, and advises them to speak with then-Department Chair Peter Kahn and to find a supporting faculty member (suggesting Professor Clifford Earle) to help coordinate with the Curriculum Committee etc.
After some more preparation, Harel and Maria meet informally with Peter Kahn about their proposal. Peter Kahn is supportive of the general idea, and asks them to draft a more specific and detailed proposal for the Curriculum Committee.
Professor Cliff Earle is contacted and is supportive of the idea.

Spring 94: Fellow graduate students Bob Milnikel and Lisa Orlandi join Harel and Maria in actively working to develop the proposed course.

Email report to Tom Rishel on a meeting (Feb 14, 94).
First Official Draft Proposal sent to Tom Rishel (Apr 1, 94); it was later sent to the Curriculum Committee (Curri-Comm).
Tom Rishel gives go-ahead from Curri-Comm to forward it our Proposal.
We further discuss the structure of the course by email
- Bob Milnikel (April 15, 94).
- Harel Barzilai (Later April 94)

Summer 94: Maria and Harel, along with Tom Rishel and Cliff Earle meet with Ithaca College professors Steve Hilbert, John Maceli and Stan Seltzer, and are given an overview about how Ithaca College (IC) uses < Activities and Projects in their calculus courses (August 94)

"112reform" email list set up (August 94)

Fall 94:

September 94:
November 94 Harel Barzilai gives a talk at the OSUT about the motivation behind and plans for brining projects-based calculus to Cornell, entitled Calculus Reform at Cornell: Why Reform? (Monday, November 14, 1994)
- Flyer announcing talk
- Complete Outline of talk
November 94 IC professors Steve Hilbert, John Maceli and Stan Seltzer come to Cornell to give a presentation at OSUT about their projects-based calculus courses (Monday, November 21, 1994).

Winter Break Harel works out a substantially more detailed week-by-week and (for first several weeks) day-by-day Syllabus for the course. When Spring semester starts, Harel and Lisa later make up minute-by-minute estimates for how much time will be spent on lecture, activities, etc, each day, the weekend before each week.

Harel also writes up an "Advertisement" about the course for use at the Grand Course Exchange to entice prospective students into trying out the course, and a first-day handout for the students, about working in groups.

Spring 95: Two special sections of math 112 are offered, taught by Harel Barzilai and Lisa Orlandi, advised by professor Cliff Earle. Cliff Earle acts as intermediary to, and reports progress to, the Curriculum Committee.

Lisa and Harel give an OSUT talk, describing how the special projects-based sections of math 112 are going, including mechanics (how the student groups are chosen, how the projects are graded, etc) and students' responses (overall, quite positive) to the course.

Student Comments at end of semester about projects-based Math 112.

Fall 95: Two special sections of Math 112 are offered, taught by Harel Barzilai and Professor David Henderson.

Student Comments, Fall 95, upon completion of their first project

Professor Henderson reports to the Curriculum Committee (October 30) favorably about the course; "I was amased at how well it [is] working."

Professor Henderson's Report to the Curriculum Committee (October 30, 1995)

November 6 Harel Barzilai and Professor Henderson give a talk at the Occasional Seminar on Undergraduate Teaching reporting on their experiences in the two special sections, including their impressions that the students are not only more enthusiastic, but also learn more, with activities and projects. Email outreach to instructors of math 111 (the prerequisite to math 112) before the November 6th presentation.

November 10 Curriculum Committee's Policy Decision on Projects-based sections of Math 112

November 17 Harel Barzilai and Lisa Orlandi present at the MER Workshop (The workshop was held at the Statler Hotel, Cornell University, Nov 16-19)
Abstract of MER Forum Presentation

Spring 96: Two special sections of Math 112 are offered, taught by Harel Barzilai and Maria Gargova.

Fall 96:

For the first time, Three special sections of Math 112 are offered by the Department, taught by Nat Miller, Ed Mosteig, and Lisa Orlandi.

A Grant and special TA are approved for the semester by the Mathematics Department and College of Arts and Sciences whereby Harel Barzilai will be developing a reform-calculus syllabus for Math 111 (first semester calculus), as well as building and organizing a Resource Library for Math 111 and Math 112, both in folders/binders, and online on the Web through these pages, which will be a resource for instructors wanting to teach a reform version of calculus.

This library will give instructors flexibility, as they will be able to choose from a variety of reform materials, as well as being able to choose anywhere from a few materials for use within a more traditional course, to a fairly complete week-by-week reform-calculus "package".

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