Preparing Students to Read a Calculus Textbook

Authors

Douglas Phillippy, Messiah CollegeFollow

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

5-30-2015

Abstract

Consider the exercise of reading the textbook before class. While most educators agree that this practice leads to better learning, too often students enrolled in a calculus class do not find pre-class reading a valuable use of their time, and their commitment to doing so fades. Why is this? As instructors, we hope that these students will be well-versed in the fundamental concepts of the subject by the time they prepare for their final exam, but as they progress through the course and encounter new concepts, they may not be ready for the technical language of the standard calculus textbook. Further, their conceptual understanding of the subject matter why is it important?, how is it relevant?, does this connect to something I already understand? is probably not well developed. As a result they may not be ready for an explanation that includes precise terminology, presupposes a student’s interest in the end application, and fails to make explicit ties to prior knowledge. This talk will describe an alternate approach to reading a calculus text that places its reading after the lecture. The main focus of this talk will be the pre-lecture reading assignment and activities that are not intended to replace the reading of the calculus text but simply displace it to after the lecture.

Recommended Citation

Phillippy, Douglas, "Preparing Students to Read a Calculus Textbook" (2015). ACMS Conference Proceedings 2015. 16.
https://pillars.taylor.edu/acms-2015/16