A Progress Report on an Exploratory Mathematics Course: Incorporating a Programming Component

This paper reports on an ongoing effort to incorporate a programming component into exploratory mathematics courses and analyzes some of the many practical considerations required for successfully managing such a course in large lecture hall classes. Two pedagogical paradigms (top-down and bottom-up...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Mathematics and computer education 2004, Vol.38 (1), p.44
Main Authors: Goldberg, Robert, Waxman, Jerry
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Achievement
Algorithms
Basic Skills
Comparative Analysis
Computer programming
Educational Change
Educational Methods
Educational Strategies
Educational Technology
Experiments
Graduate Students
Group Dynamics
Introductory Courses
Lecture Method
Mathematics
Mathematics education
Mathematics Instruction
Nonmajors
Programming
Syntax
Teaching Methods
Translation
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Summary:This paper reports on an ongoing effort to incorporate a programming component into exploratory mathematics courses and analyzes some of the many practical considerations required for successfully managing such a course in large lecture hall classes. Two pedagogical paradigms (top-down and bottom-up) are compared and contrasted for teaching Visual Basic, the macro language for Excel. It is suggested that both of these paradigms are essential to presenting the material and directly complement each other. The top-down approach fits the lecture component of the course while the bottom-up approach broadens the laboratory experience. In addition we outline the use of the Insight system to facilitate group interaction for problem discussion, program construction and solution and code debugging.
ISSN:0730-8639