New Calculus Concepts Readiness Test result of recent research in calculus assessment
Waterloo, Canada; 4 August 2010: Maplesoft™ announced today the release of the latest version of the Maple T.A.™ MAA® Placement Test Suite. The Placement Test Suite is a collection of placement tests that are developed by the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) and offered online exclusively through the Maple T.A. testing environment.
The latest release of the Maple T.A. MAA Placement Test Suite incorporates the results of modern research into calculus assessment. A new Calculus Concepts Readiness Test determines if a student has a good understanding of the mathematical concepts needed to succeed in a calculus course. Pilot testing has shown the test has high predictive validity of success in a first calculus course.
Built on the recently released Maple T.A. 6, the Placement Test Suite also includes tools for integration into more course management systems, including Moodle™. It also delivers performance improvements when used with large student populations.
“The Maple T.A. MAA Placement Test Suite is an important component of Maplesoft’s e-learning solutions,” said Paul DeMarco, Director of Development for Maple™ and Maple T.A. “With this latest release, our customers have even more options and tools for a smooth, effective placement test experience for students, instructors, and staff.”
“We are pleased to be able to offer the results of recent research in calculus assessment through the Maple T.A. MAA Placement Test Suite,” said Michael Pearson, Associate Executive Director and Director of Programs and Services for the Mathematical Association of America. “The Placement Test Suite offers an online testing environment that greatly simplifies the logistics of distributing and administering placement tests, thus saving time for faculty and increasing the efficiency of departments’ instructional programs.”
About Maplesoft
Maplesoft has over 20 years of experience developing products for technical education and research, offering a solution that applies to every aspect of academic life. Its product suite reflects the philosophy that given great tools, people can do great things.
Maplesoft’s core technology is the world’s most advanced symbolic computation engine, which is the foundation for all of its products, including Maple™, the technical computing and documentation environment; MapleSim™, the high-performance, multi-domain modeling and simulation tool for physical systems; and Maple T.A., a web-based system for creating and assessing online tests and assignments.
Maplesoft also introduced a fundamental shift in technical education through its Clickable Math™ and Clickable Engineering™ initiatives. The idea behind this shift is to create technology that will allow students and teachers to focus on the concepts, not the tool. These initiatives deliver powerful mathematics through visual, interactive point-and-click methods in Maple, while the intuitive physical modeling environment of MapleSim helps teachers to quickly demonstrate the connection between modeling concepts and the underlying mathematical theory.
Over 90% of advanced research institutions and universities worldwide, including MIT, Stanford, Oxford, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the U.S. Department of Energy, have adopted Maplesoft solutions to enhance their education and research activities. In industry, Maplesoft’s customers include Ford, Toyota, NASA, Canadian Space Agency, Motorola, and DreamWorks, covering sectors such as automotive, aerospace, electronics, defense, consumer products, and entertainment.
Visit www.maplesoft.com to learn more.
About the MAA
The Mathematical Association of America is the largest professional society that focuses on mathematics accessible at the undergraduate level. Our members include university, college, and high school teachers; graduate and undergraduate students; pure and applied mathematicians; computer scientists; statisticians; and many others in academia, government, business, and industry. We welcome all who are interested in the mathematical sciences.
The mission of the MAA is "to advance the mathematical sciences, especially at the collegiate level." This mission guides our core interests: education, research, professional development, public policy and public appreciation. We pursue these interests through extensive programs, meetings, and publications, well over one hundred national committees, and 29 regional sections.
To learn more visit www.maa.org.
