Calculus Reform, Differential Equations And Engineering

Through much of the 1990’s, the National Science Foundation supported the development of new pedagogical methods, textbooks, and teaching materials, including software, for calculus. This was done in response to concerns from mathematicians, and from scientists and engineers in client disciplines who believed students were not being well prepared for further study with calculus applications. The ’calculus reform’ movement has significantly changed the teaching and learning of calculus where it is implemented and has been a constant topic of discussion in the mathematics community. Calculus reform is often unknown among engineering faculty. Three Boston University mathematics faculty developed a ’reform’ differential equations course, textbook, and computer labs, incorporating an unusual degree of engineering applications, modeling and jargon. Their systems approach was later disseminated in workshops to the math community. In those workshops, a common theme from the math professors was ’we don’t talk with the engineers--they don’t even know that we’re teaching differently!’ Calculus reform, including the NSF differential equations project at Boston University, emphasizes using graphical solutions, numerical solutions, and symbolic solutions, as well as writing about mathematics, discovery learning, and team-based learning. This talk will describe these elements and discuss the possibilities for closer collaboration between mathematics and engineering around reform of the curriculum.