A comparison of the effectiveness of the Harvard Calculus series with the traditionally taught calculus series.

摘要

This study compared six Harvard Calculus students with six students from traditionally taught calculus, all of whom had completed a year of calculus during the 1993-1994 school year. The students were interviewed and tested on their feelings about the course and text as well as their understanding of key calculus topics.;Analysis of the interviews and tests reveals that the students from the Harvard Group have a better attitude about mathematics as well as a better understanding of calculus. The Harvard Group consistently performed better than the traditional group on questions regarding continuity, differentiation, and integration. Limits was the only area in which the traditional group performed better, although neither group did very well on this topic.;The results from this study clearly indicate that Harvard Calculus is a worthy alternative to the traditionally taught calculus. It is recommended that other Mathematics Departments offer a reform-style calculus.