Mike Mallen wrote:
>I hope the Academic Systems software has improved since we checked
>it out. Academic Systems gives a hard sell. In our case, the
>administration was approached ('sold' would be a better word) first. We
>then felt enormous pressure to examine and adopt the program. We
>examined it in detail and rejected it. The administration was very
>disappointed with us because of the potential cost-savings which
>teaching algebra by computers would entail. I resent their attempting to
>first sell administrators , who are not as welll equipped to make
>judgments on content and delivery of subject matter as faculty.
>My information is about 1.5 years old, but basically the program uses as
>a model a widely used traditional algebra text. I am sold on the AMATYC
>and NCTM STANDARDS approaches to math teaching, and this program,
>though it had great delivery potential (using sight and sound interaction
>with the computer) was a disappointment. I saw very little of 'guided
>discovery' approach which is characteristic of some of the reform
>materials. The word problems, for example, were all in one section
>rather than being interspersed throughout the text. The programming
>group is a fine bunch of people and if anyone can eventually create a
>reasonably good computer delivery of elementary and intermediate
>algebra, they can. I wish they had paid more attention to the math reform
>movement and had approached faculty first.
>>>> Peter Collinge <pcollinge@GEMINI.MTH.MONROECC.EDU> 04/12/96
>11:45am >>>
>Robert Garry asked:
>
>>On the National News a few days ago there was a report on the use of
>>computers for algebra instruction. The report went on to say that test
>>scores of the students using the program showed significant
>improvement. Did
>>anyone hear the story and remember the name of the program(s) being
>used?
>
>Assuming this was the same algebra software mentioned in a 4/3/96
>Wall Street
>Journal article (page B6), the developer's name is Academic Systems,
>Inc. of Mountain View, CA. The company's chairman is Bernard Gifford,
>formerly dean of the Graduate School of Education at Berkeley and then
>Apple's vice president of education. (Prior to that, he was here in
>Rochester.) I believe that Borough of Manhattan CC may be one of the
>software test sites.
>
>
>
>Peter Collinge
> Mathematics Department
>Internet: pcollinge@gemini.mth.monroecc.edu Monroe Community
>College
>Voice: (716) 292-2943 Rochester, NY 14623
Martha Haehl
Maple Woods Community College
2601 N. E. Barry Rd.
Kansas City, Missouri 64156
(816)437-3147