What are the students who succeeded in this online calculus class say and what advice they offer?
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Lesley, Pre-MBA candidate, Summer 2010
This was my first online class, so I really had no clue what to expect. To say I was happily surprised is an understatement. I have never been a strong student when it comes to math, and this class was so clear and easy to follow that I felt I understood the concepts exceptionally well. Every lesson was clearly explained with concrete examples, and the forum was beyond helpful by being able to interact with other students and learn about their approaches. I thought the forum was just amazing; I was able to actively engage with so many other students in the class and exchange ideas with people from all over. This truly was such a rewarding experience for me and I would highly recommend this to anyone looking to take Calculus. The forum was fun to participate in, and the homeworks helped me to really nail down concepts in each lesson and stay on track. It is a lot of work, but I was able to stay ahead and get each homework done on time. This really came to my advantage at the end of the class when I prepped for the final exam. My advice is just to stay on track and be sure to do each homework assigned and turn it in on time. And don't be afraid to ask questions on the forum - I found that other students were more than willing to help explain things to me when I was stuck. This was certainly the best math class I have ever taken, and I learned more than I could have ever imagined.
Josephine, University of the Pacific, Summer 2010
Although this class was an online class, I felt that I got the full experience as if I were taking this class in person. The video lectures really helped me learn a lot since I was able to visualize everything Professor Goetz was doing and explaining. By doing all homework assignments and sharing my thoughts and answers with other students on the forum really helped me a lot. It allowed me to ask questions to receive help from fellow students. Not only did I get help, but I also got to help other students as well. For me, when I'm able to explain something I understand, it makes me remember the concepts even more. This class was absolutely spectacular, if Professor Goetz ever had another math course available online during the summer, I would definitely take it.
Mike, architecture major, Summer 2010
This calculus course was very convenient in the sense that it was online and 4 credits without any major prerequisite. But over the summer I took this class while taking another online class and working 40 hours a week. This calculus class is not good for someone who plans on doing too many other things over the summer. When professor Goetz says you need to devote alot of time to this class he is not exaggerating. This class requires your full attention and effort. The only thing I though was not right was the fact that the homework switched from Monday Wednesday Friday to sometimes Tuesday Sometimes Thursday and even sometimes on the weekends. When it was all said and done I am thankful for this class.
Lauren Norris, a Peace Corps volunteer (Fall 08).
A little bit about me... I'm a Peace Corps volunteer serving in Suriname, a former Dutch colony on the East coast of South America. I arrived in May 2007 and have since worked for the Pan American Health Organization. Primarily, I am working to draft and implement a Family Health policy. I also volunteer part-time at Lotjes-Huis, a home for children displaced from their families.
B. Why Calculus 1 at SFSU? I am currently applying to Masters in Public Health programs for 2009-2010 and I needed to take a quantitative course. I researched many options and finally chose the online Calculus course offered through SFSU, taught by Professor Goetz. I was impressed by the course structure and Professor Goetz' support and responsiveness. I was also excited about participating in real time dialogue with my classmates.
C. Challenges in taking US based courses while abroad...
Suprisingly, I ran into very few challenges. Suriname is certainly a developing country but as long as I gave myself plenty of time to work through power outages and bad internet connections, I was able to get my homework in on time and participate in discussions with my classmates. At all times, I had an open line of communication with Professor Goetz in case an unavoidable roadblock popped up but everything went quite smoothly.
All the course required was a computer, an internet connection and a digital camera. Otherwise, all course materials were accessed online so I didn't need to worry about a textbook. Professor Goetz also provided very helpful links to differentiators, graphers and extensive background if further explanation was needed. Ultimately, my main resource was working through problems with my fellow classmates. I was always able to clear up any confusion I had and often by posting my concerns, other students realized what mistakes they had made and we worked through them together. The TA's were also extremely helpful in guiding you through a problem, rather than just giving you the solution. Often, Professor Goetz would post a response or question that would help clarify a concept as well. The lectures were extremely informative and the homework sets were well thought out an relevant.
D. I highly recommend this class to anyone living abroad. I was hesitant to engage in such an endeavour but putting off grad school another year was not an option. I'm so glad I took the course and I'm so grateful for Professor Goetz's support. The interface was straightforward and worked well on even the oldest computers. Being able to submit the homework by taking a picture was a breeze. As for the material itself, Professor Goetz made Calculus accessible to those of us who shunned math long ago. The pace was spot on and as long as I kept up with the lectures and the homework, I was never left behind. It is important to note that on average, I spent 10 hours a week which can be a lot for folks who are working but certainly doable.
From a student who took the course from a remote location, Fall 2007 I can only echo the sentiments of my classmates and say that this was truly a wonderful way to learn math. I am grateful to Dr. Goetz, Quan and the rest of the SFSU staff who made this happen. I also want to thank my fellow students who really jumped on the opportunity of using all the online tools at our disposal to mutually facilitate our learning. Meeting up online to study has been fun and very fruitful. I loved math before this class, but the experience has strengthened my resolve to continue working hard to understand and explore these profound and incredibly useful ideas. If only the first few math classes I was put through had been like this one! This format is a great idea and it goes a long way toward repairing some of the failings in the way math is traditionally taught at this level. That deserves huge kudos. I will certainly recommend these courses and will watch to see if more advanced calculus courses taught in this format become available. I actually can't wait to take more calculus now, haha smile OK, that's all for now, thanks again and have a wonderful summer everybody!
Another student.
1. What was the main reason why you took the online Calculus course rather
than a regular class? I did not have the time to attend the classes in the school. I was in the initial steps of starting up a new business venture. I was attending some business classes for 3 days per week and as a father I needed to allocate some of my time with my family.
Why did you take the class?
requirement for biochemistry major and i always regretted not taking it in highschool
I took this calculus course because it is a pre-requisite to apply to some medical schools. The reason why I took it online was for the convenience of not having to be on campus just for one class as I spend a total of 4 hours commuting to and from campus each day during the academic year. It was a nice break, and allowed me to use my time better!
It had been 8 years since I last took calculus so I needed to refresh my knowledge in calculus in order to continue with my economics degree.
I took this class to help enhance my future medical school applications, as some medical schools recommend and/or require calculus. SFSU, unlike other colleges and universities, did not require pre-calculus (which I have not taken).
Having this class online meant that I could adapt the work load to my busy schedule.
I needed this class in order to begin student teaching in August, and wasn't able to fit it into my schedule last spring at Peru. So, the timing of this course worked perfectly to enable me to finish my classes and student teach in August.
Becasue i need to complete my degree and take Engineering classes
I took this class to fill my math requirements and it was a way to get the credits while working and continuing my baseball career all at the same time.
It's the requirement for my MBA program.
I needed to take this class since several pharmacy and most medical schools require that all math and science courses be taken within the previous 10 years.
To improve my knowledge of Calculus as a whole. I've taken it before and didn't like my grade.
My Fellowship would not allow me to take a class unless it was from 7PM to 10PM.. and I don't think I have EVER seen any class like that.
Also, I wanted to enhance my Mathematics skills. I dropped out of high school and have always had to struggle with math, which I believe, is do my lack of math in my teenage years. I believe having math skills provides an individual with much more than "math" skills, but also changes/enhances one's fundamental thought processes and reasoning skills.
So i could finish the relevant courses faster so that I can put more time into studying for my exams
I needed Cal 1 in order to qualify for the prerequisite of the MS in Computer Science. Unfortunately my fall schedule was full, and I was to be in London taking a class for the remainder of the summer. The online aspect of the class attracted me, and solved my problem of time.
I was not satisfied with my first time through Calculus I, and after taking Calculus II and getting a good grade there, I figured it smart to retake the first one and go for an A.
I took the class because it is a requirement of prerequisite for the MEES program.
The reasons are two-fold: I enjoy math and wanted to become more familiar with Calculus concepts. The second reason is that I want to switch careers and enter the R&D world. Therefore, these two reasons drove me toward Calculus.
In order to satisfy a pre-req in an emphasis area in my program.
To refresh my memory: I last took Calculus in 1975.
It is a requirement for my major
I was lead to believe that I needed to take a calculus class before continuing my education. Turns out I didn't ... but I'm still glad I was able to take this class. It was nice to experience an online class - they can be just as engaging as a traditional class.
I took this class because I had to--for my major. But I took this class specifically because Professor Goetz was recommended by many of his past students. Usually, when so many students praise a professor (especially a math professor) for their work; you can't help by insist that the professor is a hypnotist. After hearing all of the hype, I had the urge to check the class out for myself. I'm not saying that this class was easy or that Professor Goetz is an easy grader, you definitely had to earn your grade, but what I'm trying to get at is Professor Goetz is possibly the only person who can teach college calculus, via the internet, effectively. Now that the semester is over... I can totally say that I believe the hype!
To transfer credits.
I needed calculus as a pre-requisite for higher level Econ courses. I wanted to take it online so I could still use summer to take trips, work, etc. If I had taken it in person, It meets every day during the week, and I worked all weekend, so I wouldn't have been able to go camping!
What surprised you the most? at first the work load caught me off guard, but it was no problem adjusting
What was most surprising to me to me was the deep level of engagement and participation that was reached in every discussion forum.The online forums generated more frequent, and more in-depth student-student interaction than a regular in-classroom course where students have the physical contact and possibility to interact with all classmates but often choose to befriend just one or two.
The class was a little more labor intensive then I thought but nothing unreasonable. I thought that the ilearn forums was very helpful.
What surprised me the most about this course was how "learnable" all of the concepts were. Many people I know cringe when they hear the word "calculus," but I thought that this class was presented in an enjoyable way.
The speed of the course is a little surprising at first, but you get used to it. I was also very surprised by how good the lectures were and how thorough and helpful too.
I thought before that MAth Calc is the harsest math, and it gets hard when you take online, I had told everybody that i am taking Math Calc Online, and everybody said it's gogin to be hard fro you to pass this class. However after i did all the stuff in math, i got surprised that it was very easy
the degree of participation in discussion board. It's really high. Many students had participated and their comments are really helpful.
What surprised me the most?? The professor, the TA's and the "online" format were not as intimidating as I had feared, after all I hadn't taken Calculus in 20 years. The last time that I took calculus, both Calculus 1 and 2 were weeder courses turning freshmen engineering students into business majors.
The video lectures, seeing Prof. Goetz and then seeing him in person.
Honestly? The pace at which the class was taught. I was very aware of getting into a summer school math class and that it would be taught quite quickly, I had not deeply considered exactly how that would affect my life when I took on a full time Molecular Biology fellowship as well!
Also, that Chapter 5 was included. For our first serious of Calculus as SJSU, we only go up to chapter 4. But I found Chapter 5 to be very much worth doing and enjoyed doing it. I felt as if Ch. 5 was my fist time at getting into "real" Calculus!
What really surprised me the most about this course was the dedication of professor Goetz and the TA's. If you ever have a question or need help with something they were always available and answer you back right away. Another great thing was that they were very on top of grading the homework on time, so you can know were your holding and what you have to improve on.
The extreme amounts of contact with not only Dr. Goetz but the other students. There is a closeness there that you sometimes do not see in an actual lecture.
The online support available.
The thoroughness of Dr. Goetz's lectures surprised me. He is very verbose and explains concepts quite clearly and with conviction.
What surprised me the most was how easy it was to understand Professor Goetz's method in teaching Calculus!
How interesting the lectures were. I usually learn by myself, but I didn't try to do the homework until after watching the lectures.
I was surprised at how excellent and organized the live lectures were. Although a textbook is quite helpful it is not necessary because Professor Goetz covers everything in his lectures and provides several other helpful resources i,e. online grapher, stram clips, websites, homework forum, etc...
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed some of the lessons. There were a few I didn't like, such as the ones with 8+ page HW assignments - but it was still surprisingly fun at times.
I initially felt intimidated by the idea of taking an online class--especially it being a math class--because I felt that, for some reason, it would be very fast paced and that I wouldn't be at the same level as the other students. However, once the semester began all my worries disappeared and I felt comfortable. What I found most surprising about this class were the students. It was just so refreshing to know that there was always someone online who could help and answer a question.
After Spring Semester, 2008 I was looking forward to do summer school on Calculus I. I never thought about taking a online calculus, since I thought "how can it be possible" to take a math course online. Regardless, I went on Google and searched for "Online Calculus in USA". Then I found the SFSU site at the top of the Google search. Since the domain extension was .edu I was confirmed that it is a legit place for me to take the course. Next day I called the registration and signed up for it.
All the lectures of Dr. Goetz are perfect. He does explain every little detail and examples, which makes one to finish the homework properly. All the TA's are extremly helpfull and they know what they are supposed to do. I am really impress with this "Online Calculus" from SFSU. I hope you guys will soon have "online calculus II".
Scanning the homework, instead of having online assignments. I though this was way more helpful. I often had to re-write the homework several times, which only helped solidify the execution steps.
Any other comments
Thank you! I had always felt that I was not good at math because I had a hard time understanding it. However, throughout this course I understood every single concept perfectly, and was able to apply it to the homework, and even help others once in a while! This has demonstrated me that the way a course is taught has a lot to do with how well a student does. Even though I do not yet know my final grade, I feel that I gained a very valuable understanding of calculus one, as well as newly acquired self-confidence in learning math!!
I hope that this kind of class continues well into the future, and my compliments to its creators.
Thank you for being an excellent professor and helping me understand the concepts of Calculus.
A midterm would have been nice. A middle point in which to recall all of the information you have processed thus far and the ability to put it all together would have served me well.
More examples in the .pdf lectures.
This is sincerely THEE best calculus class I have ever taken! Dr. Goetz not only is good at his job but enjoys it and that makes ALL the difference.
And when is Calculus II going to be available in this manor??? I have a year to complete it so let me know!!!
Thanx for a great leaning experience and will recommend to others
Thank you for a great course. I think it was an amazing learning opportunity. I feel as though I learned a lot, though maybe I did not properly show it on my exam. I wish I was a better exam taker, I tend to be very nervous and forget things when I take tests.
Regardless, I feel as though I learned quite a bit more than I have ever learned in previous math courses, and Dr. Goetz was the best math professor I have ever had.
I like your methods on how you presented this course. It was excellent and I learned that calculus can be understood by someone that is not a math major.
Thank you This was a great course. I only wish there was a follow-up online class (Calculus II).
I have already recommended this class to several others, I hate summer classes, but this has been a very rewarding experience. Thank you!
Thank you so much! It was exactly what I was looking for. If I teach AP Calc in the next few years, I'll be reviewing all the lectures and materials.
Karyn
Keep offering this great class!
Thanks Dr. Goetz!!!!
Samantha Spring 2008,
Professor Goetz, I believe one of the most important things to succeeding in this course is to constantly do homework. Once you finish an assignment, start the next one. I found myself frequently underestimating the amount of time one assignment could take. With any online class you are forced to teach yourself to a certain degree, which can add time.
Also, working with a tutor or completing assignments with a friend is very helpful. An online class provides no one on one interaction, and with math that is sometimes the most useful tool. I highly suggest finding someone (tutor or friend) to make up for that lack of personal interaction.
And, don't be shy to use the forum. If you can't get tutoring assistance or don't have a friend in the class, let the forum be your tutor and participate in it. I often held back from posting anything because I was afraid my answer would be wrong, but that's what the forum is for, discussion, hints, tips, etc. on how to achieve the correct answer.
Going into this course my major was Zoology. I have recently changed majors to one where calculus is not required, but I believe this course will benefit all who take it. It is a very useful to challenge your brain to think in the manner that is required to do calculus.
Amy May 2008
The most important thing about staying ahead in this class is doing each and every homework assignment and getting it in on time (or early). I didn't realize in the beginning how much time I was really going to be spending on doing homework. It did average out to about 12-14 hours per week though, as Prof. Goetz suggests.
I am a procrastinator and because of other classes and work, I would often have to wait until the night before to do my homework. Now, this isn't the best option because cramming everything in all at once can lead to information overload and it's easier to grasp things over time. But, with real dedication and the willingness to stay up until 4am doing homework, it's still possible to do well in the class as I did.
The forum was almost equally as important because it allowed me to do something I wouldn't be able to do in a normal in-person class, which is ask questions whenever I need to, like at 4am. Often, when I would go to the forum, someone else would have already asked the same question I had about a problem.
But honestly, I probably would not have done so well in the class had I not truly enjoyed doing the homework, even when I was the most frustrated. Calculus can be a hard thing to grasp but finally understanding a problem gave me a small sense of accomplishment.
Richard, May 2008
My advice is to stay on top of the lectures and assignments. Since you can watch the lectures at your convenience it is so easy to fall behind. Turn in your assignments early. Take advantage of the free points! Heck, you have to do the assignment eventually so why not do it early and get some free points!
Utilize the forums. There is a lot of helpful hints and advice that saved me this semester. Ask questions - I know its a cliche but really...if you have a question there is most likely someone else that is asking the same thing. Answer questions - Not only are you helping a fellow student but if you give a wrong answer there will be someone else that can correct and explain what you did wrong.
Don't rely on the websites to answer the derivatives for you. I fell into that trap and then I realized that I would not have any idea how to solve the problem because I became reliant on them.
I am a Marine Biology Major and I really should have taken this class a long time ago. It would have especially helped me to understand some of those chemistry calculations from 2/3 years ago that I am just now finally getting what it was exactly that I was doing beyond just solving it.
I definitely would recommend this class to future students from any major. One of the best math experiences I have had. And I DREAD math! big grin
by Pei - May 2008
Since there's no in-class lecture for this math section, it is very important that you keep on track throughout the semester. Because i was not able to keep up with the lecture and the homework sets, i could see my homework grade went up and down, which was not so good. Therefore, i was forcing myself to do extra-good at the end of the semester because i knew i had to get more points to pass this class. The extra homework point for turning it early also helped me bring up my grades a little too! Overall, it had not been easy but thanks to the replayable video lectures and the unlimited help i got from the forum on ilearn, i survived. Actually, i thought i did pretty well at the end too!
Although there's no in-class lecture, there are tutoring sessions on campus that you can get help from (if you really need some personal help). You can also feel free to e mail Professor Goetz or any of the TAs, they will be more than happy to help you out like they did to me.
In conclusion, this has been a great experience for me. I appreciate this opportunity to take Calculus online because as a Biology major student who commute on a daily bases, i seriously do not have much time to take a regular math class. So i definitely recommend this class to people like me.
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