Active learning through interactive texts based on Mathematica Notebooks

Jerry Uhl                                   juhl@ncsa.uiuc.edu
Professor of Mathematics                    1409 West Green Street
University of Illinois                      Urbana,Illinois 61801
Calculus&Mathematica Development Team
(703) 765-9000

This talk will discuss the following basic principles used to lay
out interactive texts for active learning:

o Give students work whose importance they recognize.

o Give the students professional tools.

o Communicate new ideas visually and experimentally; get an idea across
before putting language on it.

o When the language goes on, make it plain everyday American and minimize
math jargon.

o Give the students a chance to organize their thoughts by explaining
themselves in writing.

o Give the students the opportunity to learn the math, the programming and
the writing in context.

o Get the instructor out of the way and give the students the freedom to
think for themselves.

Examples from Calculus & Mathematica (Addison-Wesley, 1994) and new courses in
Matrix Theory and Differential equations will be given.