ohio maa 2011 calculus survey. part 1 development and demographics bill fuller

OHIO MAA 2011 CALCULUS SURVEY

Part 1 Development and Demographics

Bill Fuller

History of the Survey

• The idea of a Calculus survey was first suggested by Vickie Van Dresar from Ashland University when she was Section President in 2008-2009.

• The idea was handed on to me by the previous chair of CONCUR, Rob-Roy Mace, Marshall University.

Development of the Survey

• At the Fall Section meeting of CONCUR in 2010, the members present, Chandra Dinavahi, Bill Fuller, Oliver Ruff, and David Stuckey, had a robust brain-storming session of possible ideas and topics for inclusion in a possible survey of Calculus teaching.


• During the winter of 2010-2011, the brain-stormed topics were put into a questionnaire format.

• The questionnaire was discussed and revised by CONCUR during the Spring Section Meeting, 2011.


• During the summer of 2011 the survey was tested in a pilot study on a group of about 10 people, including two past Section presidents.

• The Ohio MAA Calculus Survey was conducted as an e-mail survey in October, 2011, with the support of the National MAA office.


• The results were discussed by CONCUR during last Spring’s Section Meeting and CONCUR also met during this last summer to put together this presentation.

• About 90 Section members answered the questionnaire. This was an excellent response rate for an e-mail survey.

Question 17: Participation by Type of Academic Institution

Question 18: Gender

Question 19: Interval of time teaching in years

Part 2 Teaching Methods

David Stuckey

Teaching Methods

• Straight Lecture• Dialog Lecture• Team Learning• Moore Method

• I usually ____ for each entire class session.

• I usually ____ for a part of each class session.

• I usually ____ several times each week.

• I usually ____ several times during the course.

• I never use the method of ____.

Question 1: Straight LectureAnswer Response %

Except for tests and quizzes, I usually lecture for each entire class session. 17 19%

When I’m not giving a test or a quiz, I usually lecture for a part of each class session, but not usually for the entire class session.

25 28%

I usually use straight lecturing several times each week, but not every class session. 15 17%

I usually use straight lecturing several times during the course, but not every week. 10 11%

I never use the method of straight lecturing. 21 24%

Always19%

Some each class28%

Each Week17%

During Course

11%

Never24%

Straight Lecture

Question 2: Dialog LectureAnswer Response %

Except for tests and quizzes, I usually use this method for each entire class session. 22 25%

When I’m not giving a test or a quiz, I usually use this method for a part of each class session, but not usually for the entire class session.

19 22%

I usually use dialog lectures several times each week, but not every class session. 21 24%

I usually use dialog lectures several times during the course, but not every week. 14 16%

I never use the method of dialog lectures. 12 14%

Always25%

Some each class22%

Each Week24%

During Course16%

Never14%

Dialog Lecture

Question 3:Team LearningAnswer Response %

Except for tests and quizzes, I usually use this method for each entire class session. 0 0%


4 5%

I usually use team learning several times each week, but not every class session. 9 10%

I usually use team learning several times during the course, but not every week 43 49%

I never use the method of team learning. 31 36%

Some each class5%

Each Week10%

During Course49%

Never36%

Team Learning

Question 4: Moore MethodAnswer Response %Except for tests and quizzes, I usually use this method for each entire class session. 0 0%


0 0%

I usually use the Moore method several times each week, but not every class session. 1 1%

I usually use the Moore method several times during the course, but not every week. 10 12%

I never use the Moore method. 75 87%

Question 5: Learning StylesAnswer Response %

I include some material for at least two different learning styles in every class session.

24 28%

I include some material for at least two different learning styles sometime during each week.

20 23%

I include some material for at least two different learning styles sometime during each course.

14 16%

I don’t utilize the theory of learning styles when I teach Calculus. 19 22%

I don't know what the theory of learning styles is. 10 11%

Each Class28% Each Week

23%

Each Course16%

Not Utilized22%

Unfamiliar11%

Learning Styles

Part 3 Use of Technology

Anne Albert

Question 6: In your Calculus courses how often do you use each of the following?

6a) Percent response for Blackboards/whiteboards, overheads/ transparencies

Answer Blackboards/Whiteboards

Overheads/Transparencies

Every class 87%1st - Gold

7%

Several times a week, but not every class

6% 9%

Several times during the course, but not every week

0% 28%

Never 7%2nd - Silver

56%


6b) Percent response for Elmo, SmartBoard, Tablet PC

Answer Elmo SmartBoard Tablet PC

Every class 3% 9% 7%


14% 6% 0%


12% 1% 3%

Never 71% 84% 90%


6c) Percent response for Computer Simulations, Applets

Answer Computer Simulations

Applets

Every class 0% 0%


13% 5%


52% 41%

Never 35% 55%


6d) Percent response for Web CT, Moodle

Answer Web CT Moodle

Every class 5% 4%


2% 7%


5% 1%

Never 88% 88%


6e) Percent response for Internet, Publisher’s Website,Other Media/Devices

Answer Internet Publisher’s Website

Other Media/Devices



3% 0% 16%


41% 19% 24%

Never 54% 81% 51%


6f) Response for Facebook, Twitter, Vista

Answer Facebook Twitter Vista



0% 0% 0%


0% 0% 1%

Never 100% 100% 99%

Question 7: In preparing materials for the course, how often do you use each of the following?

7a) Use of handwritten materials

Answer Responses

Every class 34


11


19

Never 23


7b) Use of general word processors

Answer Responses

Every class 14


21


29

Never 23


7c) Use of LaTeX or TeX

Answer Responses

Every class 12


17


14

Never 41


7d) Use of PDF files

Answer Responses

Every class 14


17


32

Never 23

Question 8: How often do you incorporate active use of symbolic processing software in your teaching of the course?

Question Every day

Several times a week, but not

every day

Several times during the

course, but not every week

Never

Derive 1 1 6 76

Maple 1 8 24 51

Mathematica 0 6 11 69

Sage 1 0 1 83

Matlab 0 0 4 81

Other software 3 5 12 66

Question 9: In communicating with students how often do you use each of the following?

9a) Face-to-face conferences, telephone conversations

Question Every day Several times a week, but not

every day



Never

Face-to-face 17 19 40 8Telephone 0 1 44 38

Question 9: In communicating with students how often do you use each of the following?9b) E-mail, Web CT, Moodle, Electronic bulletin boards


every day



Never

E-mail 10 38 36 0

WebCT 4 2 4 74

Moodle 3 6 1 71

EBB 2 7 8 65

Question 9: In communicating with students how often do you use each of the following?

9c) Department’s web site, personal web site

Question Every day Several times a

week, but not every

day



Never

Department 2 2 5 73

Personal 6 8 12 56

Part 4 Assessment Methods

Chandra Dinavahi

Question 10Preferred practice for tests

Response %

Students may use no technology.

14 17Students may use calculators, but no computers. 59 70Students may use computers with symbolic manipulation software, but without access to the Internet.

2 2

Students may use computers, including access to the internet. 0 0Students have the free choice of which technology to use 4 5I prefer some other practice for technology use on quizzes, tests, and exams

5 6

Question 11Answer Response %

Students have the free choice of which calculator they use. 19 30%

Students may use any calculator except calculators which permit the use of symbolic manipulation software (such as Derive).

10 16%

Students may use any scientific graphing calculator as long as it doesn’t support symbolic manipulation software.

23 36%

Students may use only scientific calculators without graphing capabilities 4 6%

Students may not use any calculators 2 3%I prefer some other practice for calculator use on quizzes, tests, and exams 6 9%

Question 12Testing instruments


every day



Never Responses

Short answer questions (free response)

15 24 32 12 83

Objective questions (multiple choice, matching, etc.)

1 8 28 47 84

Problems (free response) 33 31 20 0 84

Problems (guided response)

7 31 21 23 82

Essays 0 2 23 58 83

Journal entries 0 0 5 78 83

Online assessment tools

5 11 9 56 81

Part 5 Topics in the Curriculum

Anne Albert

Question 13: Topics• In the teaching of Calculus there are some

topics that every course must cover in order to be called “Calculus.” There are other topics that are sometimes covered, but sometimes are omitted due to time pressures, instructor preference, and so on.

• The purpose of this section is to poll your personal practice on some of these subsidiary topics. Please indicate what your practice is with respect to covering each of the following topics when you teach Calculus.

Question 13: Topics Covered - 13a)

Question I cover this in every

course I teach.

I cover this if there is time, and there is usually time

to do so.

I cover this if there is time, and there is

rarely time to do so.

I never cover this in my courses.

The chain rule 83 0 0 0

Proof of the chain rule 22 19 15 26

The epsilon-delta definition of limit 36 18 12 17

Proofs involving the epsilon-delta definition of limit

19 18 22 24

Question 13: Topics Covered - 13b)


course I teach.


usually time to do so.




Linear approx. using the derivative 59 12 8 4

Linear approx. using the differential 43 18 8 14

Numerical approx. using Newton's method

27 23 16 17

Question 13: Topics Covered - 13c)


course I teach.


usually time to do so.




Other numerical approx.techniques using the derivative

5 13 25 38

Numerical approx. involving the integral: trapezoidal rule

56 10 6 10

Numerical approx. involving the integral: Simpson's rule

38 18 12 14

Question 13: Topics Covered - 13d)

Question I cover this in every course I teach.

I cover this if there is time, and there is usually time

to do so.




Applications to ordinary differential equations

37 16 9 20

Complex numbers 8 7 13 54

Euler's notation for complex numbers

2 5 14 61

Question 15: Balance• In the teaching of Calculus the question often

comes up of maintaining a balance between time spent providing motivational examples and the pressure to cover all the topics in the syllabus.

• Which of the following statements best describes your current practice in maintaining the balance?

Question 15: Balance between covering the Syllabus and Motivational Examples

Answer Response %

I find that there is enough time to do both: cover the syllabus and develop motivational examples

39 48%

I find that there isn’t time enough to do both, and I usually give weight to the syllabus topics

34 41%

I find that there isn’t time enough to do both, and I usually give weight to motivational examples

7 9%

I find that there isn’t time to do either. 2 2%

Part 6 Classroom Management

David Stuckey

Question 14: Which of the following best describes your practice in monitoring attendance in your Calculus courses?

Answer Response %

I monitor attendance every class meeting.

45 55

I monitor attendance more than once a week, but not every class.

12 15

I monitor attendance several times during the course, but not every week

8 10

I never monitor attendance. 17 21

Question 16: How many times a week do the majority of the sections of Calculus that you teach meet?

Answer Response %1 session 1 1%2 sessions 10 12%3 sessions 14 17%4 sessions for 1 hour each 32 39%5 sessions for 1 hour each 14 17%Some other schedule of class meetings

10 12%

11%

212%

317%

440%

517%

Other12%

1 2 3 4 5 Other0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Sessions Per Week

For Further Information

• If you are interested in processing the raw data, please feel welcome to contact the chair of CONCUR.

ohio maa 2011 calculus survey. part 1 development and demographics bill fuller

Documents

calculus survey slide

entire class session

gender slide

email survey

demographics bill fuller

ohio maa calculus survey

method of dialog lectures

method of straight lecturing