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Exponential Growth in Maple T.A. Usage on Campus. Christopher Calzonetti , Carrie Howells, and Sean Scott of. Overview. What is Maple T.A.? Exponential Growth Lessons Learned System Stuff. What is Maple T.A.?. a mathematically intelligent assessment system
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Exponential Growth inMaple T.A. Usage on Campus Christopher Calzonetti, Carrie Howells, and Sean Scott of
Overview • What is Maple T.A.? • Exponential Growth • Lessons Learned • System Stuff
What is Maple T.A.? • a mathematically intelligent assessment system • supports multiple question types • algorithmic templates for questions • grade management
What makes it intelligent? • many systems can't tell that ½ = 0.5 • Maple T.A. accepts numbers, expressions, formulas, functions, matrices, etc. • can use all the power of Maple to create and grade questions (e.g., statistical distributions, MathML rendering) • provides algorithmic variables
What are algorithmic variables? • variables can be assigned random values • set a range such as x from [-1,1] in 0.01 increments • select a function from a list • create a matrix with a certain rank • a set of plots • impose conditions • x > y or (x+y) > 0 • rank ≠ 0
Algorithmic variables cont'd • variables can be used anywhere in the question and the feedback • diagram labels can also be algorithmic values
Exponential Growth • MATH courses added this year: • 135, 136, 137, 138, 235, 237 • Algebra, Linear Algebra 1 & 2, Calculus 1, 2 & 3 • ~1300 questions developed this year • weekly online assignments are now an integral part of these courses • Math Readiness Test • pilot this fall of ~300 students writing online
Content Management • Content is developed, tested, and deployed by ISG staff with the help of Grad TAs and Co-op students. • Questions are stored in central repositories, one per subject. • eliminates duplication • Courses inherit the relevant repository content.
Lessons Learned • Within a repository, questions are organized by topic. • Information fields include Author, Origin, Course, question Type, Difficulty, and Keywords. • A tag on each question allows us to tell exactly where it came from when used in an assignment.
Lessons Learned cont'd • Preparing students in how to enter their answers is crucial. • Maple T.A. Ready? quiz • Guidance and training needed for Instructors. • assignment policy consequences • remarking assignments • Easy to access help. • online FAQ • email contact • division of responsibilities