Abstract of Colloquium talk at Math Department of WVU, November 21, 1996

As a part of Allegheny Mountain Section of the MAA Meeting.

Professor Frank Beatrous

University of Pittsburgh

IMPLEMENTING CALCULUS REFORM IN A LARGE INSTITUTIONAL SETTING

Ramping up a successful pilot project to full implementation is a major undertaking, requiring dedicated leadership and institutional support at all levels. Based on experiences at the University of Pittsburgh, I will discuss some of the issues involved, including:

1. Why we should bother at all;
2. Issues related to the use of technology;
3. What it costs, in terms of capital and operating expenses, and human resources.

I will also discuss some of the aftermath of curricular reform, including the inevitable backlash against reform, as well some of the implications of changing the way we deliver instruction. This will include the use of existing, relatively cheap technology to create virtual learing environments that may be spread out over a campus, or for that matter, over the entire planet.