SimCalc: Democratizing the Mathematics of Change

James J. Kaput
Chancellor Professor of Mathematics
Department of Mathematics
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
North Dartmouth, Massachusetts
jkaputflee@umassd.edu

For more than 30 years, I've been interested in mathematical representations--by which I mean any type of mathematical notation, such as numbers, equations, graphs, or even algebra, as a representation system--and the power of different mathematical representations to expose different aspects of complex mathematical ideas. The mathematics

SimCalc MathWorlds (downloads) Line Becomes Motion (LBM) Bouncing Cart TERC TI-83 Plus

we've inherited was developed in a very different world, defined by static, inert media such as clay tablets, paper and pens, and the printed page. These media constrained mathematics and limited the forms of mathematical representations. Further, mathematics historically has been created by and for a very small intellectual elite. But those two constraints no longer apply. We now have dynamic, interactive media available through the use of technology, and this is changing the mathematics that is possible and needed. It is also making mathematics learnable in new ways. And we now expect a much broader segment of the population to learn serious mathematical ideas. I began working with learning technology in mathematics--and helped created the SimCalc Project--in response to these two fundamental changes in mathematics in the latter part of the 20th century: 1) a change in the nature of the media in which we can build mathematical representations, and 2) a change in the population that we expect to learn and use serious mathematics. SimCalc uses motion simulations, visualization tools and innovative teaching strategies to provide multiple ways of learning mathematics that are rooted in students' experience If you have any questions, you can contact me at: jkaput@umassd.edu