Calculus for Engineers: An Applications Approach

Authors:
Shuki Aroshas, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Dept. of Education, Haifa, Israel, 32000 aroshas@netvision.net.il
Igor M. Verner, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Dept. of Education, Haifa, Israel, 32000 ttrigor@tx.technion.ac.il
Abraham Berman, Technion – Israel Inst. of Technol., Fac. of Mathematics, Haifa, Israel, 32000 berman@tx.technion.ac.il

Abstract  This paper reports an experimental applications-integrated Calculus 2M course at the Technion. The purpose
of the course is to emphasize the connections between the mathematics course and the science and engineering disciplines,
and make Calculus clear and attractive to engineering students. We extended the conventional curriculum by an optional
applications motivated course and gave it in the fall semester 2002-2003 to 70 freshmen from EE, ME, CS and other
departments. The study focused on addressing the applied problem solving skills, developing teaching methods and
materials, and testing the course outcomes. Data analysis indicates that the applications course got highly positive
evaluation by the students. The majority of the students reported that the applications helped them in understanding the
mathematical concepts. They supported integrating applications in the Calculus 2M, and recommended to continue teaching
the applications course in the future, and even extend it.

Index Terms  Applications, calculus, engineering education, Technion.

INTRODUCTION
This paper reports the first stage in an experiment of applications-integrated Calculus 2M course at the Technion. Our study
examines the effect of integrating applications on students' achievements and motivation in learning the undergraduate
mathematics subjects. In talks conducted with many Technion students, we learned that they did not see the connection
between the mathematics course and their majoring subject. This is a possible reason for the learning difficulties and low
internal motivation in calculus and linear algebra, which are indicated by the average grades and by surveys of the Center for
Advancement of Teaching at the Technion.
There is an intensive debate on applications and modeling in mathematics curricula for engineering students. The
Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) identified eleven main learning outcomes required from
graduates of the engineering programs [1]. One of them relates directly to the ability to apply mathematics. Based on the
ABET criteria Kumar and Jalkio proposed a conceptual framework for teaching mathematics from the application point of
view [2]. It concerns the mathematical skills required by the engineering disciplines, mathematics courses for developing
these skills, and relevant applied problems.
A calculus curriculum for an architecture college which includes applications to architectural design is proposed by
Verner and Maor in [3]. The study indicated a significant progress in students' achievements and attitudes towards the
subject. Crowther et al [4] pointed out on the recent decrease in the mathematical background and achievements of the
university students in the U.S. They saw the reason for this reduction in the learning method and suggested to teach
mathematics in connection with engineering.

BACKGROUND
Cognitive psychologists noted that instruction should refer to individual characteristics of learners [5]. The educational
approach which coordinates student's abilities and teaching methods is called Attitude Treatment Interaction (ATI). ATI
points that students can be convergent or divergent thinkers, short-term or long-term memorizers, extraverts or introverts,
more or less confident, etc. ATI offers a variety of instructional methods and gives students opportunities to choose those
which fit their learning styles. The educational approach emphasizes team-based inquires and project assignments in which
the students can select their preferred learning strategies. The ATI studies [5-7] revealed that integrating different
instructional methods provided more students with opportunities of successful and motivated learning. The ATI theory gave
rise to substantial examination of different learning styles and approaches to address them in curriculum and instruction.
The two central aspects of the multiplicity of intelligence are cognitive performances and learning styles. Sternberg [8]
defined three levels of cognitive performances: human adaptation to environment, learning and experimentation, and

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information processing. Sternberg moves the focus from formal learning processes to those emerged when studying and
solving real practical problems. His theory supports the integration of applications in science education.
Gardner [9] pointed out a number of different intelligences which characterize different learning styles: linguistic,
musical, logical-mathematical, spatial, body-kinesthetic, intrapersonal, and interpersonal. He aspired to build learning
processes which implement multiple intelligences in order to fit learning methods to different students and provide harmonic
development of their abilities. The Gardner theory directs us to integrate various teaching methods and emphasizes the value
of experiments and applications.

FRAMEWORK AND CURRICULUM

The goal of our study is to develop an approach to integrating applications in teaching Calculus without adversely affecting
the mathematical level and scope of the course. The study is an action research in connection with the Technion Calculus 2M
course in which the conventional curriculum is extended by an applications motivated course. At this stage this is an optional
course given voluntarily by one of the authors (Aroshas) in parallel with teaching a conventional Calculus 2M class. The
course was given in the fall semester 2002-2003 in the form of two hours a week meetings. The course was offered in the
evening hours to interested students from the author's class and was attended also by students from other calculus classes. It
was designed for 30 students, but in practice 70 students showed up for the first meeting. Moreover, throughout the rest of the
meetings until the end of the semester an average of about 75 students participated regularly. The students came from the
faculties of Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Industrial Engineering, Chemistry
and Bio-Medical Engineering. The applications course was coordinated with the calculus class so that theoretical concepts
and their use in real problems were studied at the same week. Condensed subject matter descriptions were given when
needed.
The objectives of our study at this stage were:
• Characterizing the applied problem solving skills which could be addressed in the course.
• Developing methods and materials for teaching applications.
• Testing the effect of the optional course on students' progress and attitudes.
To characterize the applied problem solving skills we asked a number of experts from science and engineering faculties
at the Technion about their opinion regarding the need for learning applications in the mathematics courses, and how
important it is for their students. We also got their advice on how to present and analyze applied problems in the course.
Applied problems
Through the literature search we found sources of applied calculus problems from various science and engineering domains
which fit the scope and level of the course such as [10]. Other interdisciplinary texts [11, 12] and our professional experience
served the sources of ideas for developing applied problems. The problems were discussed with highly experienced lecturers
of Calculus, Science, and Engineering. Following are examples of problems given in the course:

Problem 1 (Application of the double integral)

In a theater, the average waiting time in a ticket line is 10 minutes, and the average waiting time in a popcorn line is 5
minutes. Assuming that the waiting time in the two lines are independent of each other, and their density functions are
−t
()
−t
exponential f t = 0.1 × e 10 , g (t ) = 0.2 × e 5 for t ≥ 0 and f (t ) = g (t ) = 0 for t < 0, then calculate the probability
that a person coming to the theater will buy a ticket and popcorn in less than 20 minutes.

Problem 2 (Application of the line integral)

r r
A particle of mass m is moving along the path ( r (t ) , a ≤ t ≤ b ) subject to the force F ( x, y , z ) . Show that the work done
is equal to the increment of particle's kinetic energy between the two end points.

At the first calculus class of the 2002-2003 fall semester we conducted an attitude questionnaire, in which the students
were asked about their interest to learn applications of calculus and participate in a new optional course. Additional questions
related to students' preconceptions about Calculus 2M. As found, the majority of students recognized the importance of
learning calculus applications, connecting it to their area of specialization, and was very interested in participating in the
optional course. The learning activities in the course focused on problem solving through physical illustrations, computer
graphics demonstrations, and qualitative reasoning. The course results were studied through formative and summative
assessment. The assessment data were collected in the teacher's logbook and post-course questionnaire.

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Questionnaires
The pre-course questionnaire was conducted at the first Calculus 2M class in the beginning of the fall semester in order to
examine students' expectations from the calculus course, their attitudes towards applications, and interest to participate in the
optional applications course. The questionnaire tested student opinions related to the following aspects:
1. Anticipated effect of integrating engineering and science problems on understanding the calculus concepts.
2. Interest to solve calculus problems from the area of specialization.
3. Viewing the calculus capabilities as a condition to succeed in the area of specialization.
4. Interest to attend the applications motivated course in addition to the conventional calculus class.
The questionnaire also inquired student expectations about the calculus course with relation to its difficulty, appeal,
expediency, challenge, and relevance for the area of specialty. The students were asked to express their view on the
connection between successes in the first-year mathematics courses and in the majoring subjects.
The post-course questionnaire was conducted at the last meeting of the applications course and focused on evaluation of
its idea and impact. Four questions were similar to questions (a)-(d) of the pre-course test. The next question related to the
contribution of the different teaching methods used in the course to understanding calculus concepts. The methods mentioned
in the question were: demonstrating mathematical problems of science and technology, constructing and solving
mathematical problems in context, visualization through computer simulations. The questionnaire also tested the student's
opinion about the impact of the course on understanding and connecting concepts, as well as on problem solving tools and
capabilities. An additional question asked the students to characterize Calculus 2M in the retrospective view with the same
categories which they used to characterize their expectations in the pre-course questionnaire. The last question requested
students' recommendations on the scope of the applications course.
Findings
The answers related to the abovementioned aspects 1-4 given by the students in the pre-course and post-course
questionnaires are presented in Table I.
The pre-test findings are as follows:
• The absolute majority of students pointed their high level of expectations from integrating applied problems on
understanding the calculus and interest to solve problems from the area of specialization.
• More than half of the students (58.5%) did not see the calculus capabilities as an important condition to succeed in the
area of their specialization. With this a majority of them (70.7%) recognized the connection between successes in the
first-year mathematics and the majoring subjects.
The post-test indicated:
• The students did not change their opinion about the effect of integrating applied problems, and continued to be interested
in solving problems related to the area of their specialization (as given by the t-test). This shows that the course answered
students' expectations.
• There was an insignificant increase in the average evaluation of the importance of the calculus capabilities for success in
the area of specialization (as given by the t-test).
• All the students reported that they would recommend attending the applications course to their classmates.
The post-course questionnaire results related to the contribution of different teaching methods on understanding calculus
concepts are presented in Table II. The F-test results revealed that all the teaching methods mentioned in table 2 significantly
contributed to the understanding of calculus concepts. However, one of them was especially effective, as shown in Table III.

CONCLUSIONS
In our ongoing study, an applications motivated course was given to freshmen engineering students as an optional extension
of the Technion Calculus 2M course. Preliminary findings of the pilot study are as follows:
• The applications-motivated calculus course got highly positive evaluation by the students, as indicated by their diligent
voluntary attendance, post-course questionnaires, and reflections.
• The majority of the students reported that the applications helped them in understanding theorems and formulas and that
they were interested in the applied meaning of the mathematical concepts.
• The absolute majority of the students supported integrating applications in the Calculus 2M, recommended to continue
teaching the applications course in the future, and even extend it.

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 This positive feedback motivates the authors to continue the study by constructing families of calculus problems in
science and engineering and measuring the effect of the applications motivated learning through comparison of experimental
and control groups.

REFERENCES
[1] "Engineering Criteria 2000", Third Edition, in: Criteria for Accrediting Programs in Engineering in the United States, Baltimore, MD: The
Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET), pp. 32-34.
[2] Kumar, S., and Jalkio, J., "Teaching Mathematics from an Applications Perspective", Journal of Engineering Education, Vol. 24, 2001, pp. 275-279.
[3] Verner, I., and Maor, S., "Integrating Design Problems in Mathematics Curriculum: An Architecture College Case Study", International Journal of
Mathematics Education in Science and Technology, Vol. 32, 2001, pp. 817-828.
[4] Crowther, K., Thomson, D., and Cullingford, C., "Engineering Degree Students Deficient in Mathematical Expertise – Why?", International Journal of
Mathematics Education in Science and Technology, Vol. 28, 1997, pp. 785-792.
[5] Cronbach, L., and Webb, N., "Between-class and within-class effects in a reported aptitude treatment interaction: reanalysis of a study by G. L.
Anderson", Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol. 67, No. 6, 1975, pp. 717-724.
[6] Snow, R., "Aptitude-Treatment Interaction as a Framework for Research on Individual Differences in Psychotherapy", Journal of Consulting and
Clinical Psychology, Vol. 59, No. 2, 1991, pp. 205-216.
[7] Cramer, K., "Cognitive Restructuring Ability, Teacher Guidance, and Perceptual Distracter Tasks: An Aptitude-Treatment Interaction Study", Journal
for Research in Mathematics Education, Vol. 20, No. 1, 1989, pp. 103-110.
[8] Sternberg, R.. "Human intelligence: the model is the message", Science, Vol. 230, 1985, pp. 111-118.
[9] Gardner, H., "Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences", Basic Books, NY, 1983.
[10] Stewart, J., "Calculus: Concepts and Contexts", Brooks/Cole: Pacific Grove, CA, 2001.
[11] Deem, B., "Electronics Mathematics", 6th Edition, Prentice Hall, NJ, 2000.
[12] Ewen, D., Gary, J., and Trefzger, J., "Technical Mathematics with Calculus", Prentice Hall, NJ, 2001.

FIGURES AND TABLES

TABLE I
PRE/POST COMPARISON OF ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS (A) – (D) BY T-TEST

Ques. Average & S.D • Conclusion

No.
H 0 hypothesis t840.05 ttest

x pre = 4.219 H 0 : µ pre = µ post

1 1.66 0.52 H 0 is not
S 2
= 0.775 H1 : µ post > µ pre 4 6
pre rejected
x post = 4.133
2
S post = 0.39
x pre = 4.073 H 0 : µ pre = µ post
2 1.66 1.16 H 0 is not
S 2
= 0.504 H1 : µ post > µ pre 4
pre rejected
x post = 4.288
2
S post = 0.937
x pre = 3.487 H 0 : µ pre = µ post
3 1.66 0.53 H0 is not
S 2
= 0.91 H1 : µ post > µ pre 4 2
pre rejected
x post = 3.6
2
S post = 1.018
x pre = 3.853 H 0 : µ pre = µ post
4 1.66 4.14 H 0 is rejected
S 2
pre = 0.128 H1 : µ post > µ pre 4 6
x post = 4.266
2
S post = 0.29

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TABLE II
EVALUATION OF THE TEACHING METHODS CONTRIBUTIONS BY F-TEST

Teaching methods Average 0.05

F(2,132) Ftest
Demonstrating problems x = 4.044 3.07 0.046
M1
Context problems solving x = 4.111 3.07 0.046
M2
Computer visualization M3 x = 4.466 3.07 0.046

TABLE III
COMPARISON OF THE TEACHING METHODS CONTRIBUTIONS BY T-TEST

Methods Average & S.D Hypothesis Conclusion

t840.05 ttest
x1 = 4.044 x2 = 4.111 H 0 : µ1 = µ2
M1 vs. 1.664 0.428 H 0 is not
M2 s12 = 0.543 s22 = 0.555 H1 : µ1 > µ2
rejected
x1 = 4.044 x3 = 4.466 H 0 : µ1 = µ3
M1 vs. 1.664 2.627 H 0 is rejected
M3 s12 = 0.543 s32 = 0.618 H1 : µ3 > µ1
x3 = 4.466 x2 = 4.111 H 0 : µ3 = µ 2
M2 vs. 1.664 2.199 H 0 is rejected
M3 s32 = 0.618 s22 = 0.555 H1 : µ 3 > µ 2

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