Brand New! (February 3, 1998) - Multivariable Calculus Reading Questions

• Postscript file: here
• PDF file: here

True/False Reading Questions for the CCH Calculus Text By Robert R. Curtis, San Joaquin Delta College robert@calculus.net Large Image of the Cover Large Image of the Preface Large Image of a Sample Page Entire Booklet in Postscript (.ps) (1.3MB) Entire Booklet in Acrobat Format (.pdf) (750k) For Instructors Only Answer Key in Postscript (.ps) (1.3MB) Answer Key in Acrobat Format (.pdf) (750k)

True/False Reading Questions for the CCH Calculus Text By Carmen Artino, College of St. Rose artinoc@rosnet.strose.edu Large Image of a Sample Page Entire Booklet in Postscript (.ps) Entire Booklet in Acrobat Format (.pdf) No Answer Key is Available...Sorry

I got the idea for this set of student worksheets from Marvin Greenberg's Euclidean and Non-Euclidean Geometries: Development and History (W.H. Freeman). Before the regular exercises for each section of Greenberg's text there are true/false questions which are of a particularly tricky sort. When I was reading this book for Greenberg's course at UC Santa Cruz, I found myself, for the first time, really reading a textbook.

Over this past year I exported Marvin's idea to the CCH book, after noticing that my students were simply not reading the text, even with my begging and pleading for them to do so. When you say to a student, " Go home tonight and read Section 3.2," it spurs the same student interest as the statement, "The proof of this (obvious) theorem is the following ... "

On the day I am going to begin to lecture on Section x.n the true/false reading questions for Section x.n are due at the beginning of that lecture period. Late sheets are not accepted at all, not even at the end of the period (if you do this, the students will spend the class time to complete the T/F questions - I found this out the hard way). These sheets also have a space for each question where the student is to give the reasoning for why they chose T or F. Of course, No Reason = No Points.

I have tried to make these reading questions just tricky enough to get the students to read the text carefully, while not necessarily requiring them to have full grasp of the concepts. Essentially, if they read the section carefully, they should get 80-90% correct. There are usually one or two T/F questions that will stick in their head and spawn a question or two during lecture.

The result has been very positive. The students don't hate them too much (of course, there are always whiners). I find that the students have a grasp of the terminology of the section, with some rough understanding that I can build upon in a meaningful way during lecture. The "blank stare" and "mad stenography" situations in class have dropped rather significantly. The students learn very quickly that the reading assignments are easy; they just have to read in advance. (Or they can buy completed sheets from the more resourceful students in the class. Going rate seems to be $1 per sheet completed.)

One student remarked that, "I used to just start the homework problems. The T/F sheets now just make me read the section before I start the homework." As we say here in California, "Duh!" (For proper accent instruction on this saying, watch any episode of Beverly Hills 90210).

Please feel free to distribute these to anyone you feel might be interested. These sheets are fully distributable, and free. I only ask that they not be included as a package of commercial works, and that the authorship and copyright declaration be retained on each sheet. Go ahead an make all the copies you want for both your students and your colleagues.

The second set of reading questions where written by Carmen Artino of College of St. Rose, Albany, NY. I think Carmen did a better job on his set than I on mine.