The article uses dynamic visualizations in Excel to examine a variety of ways in which students can attain a much greater depth of understanding of optimization problems in introductory calculus. The topics discussed include a variety of common optimization problems that appear in virtually every calculus textbook that can all be enhanced…

This article uses dynamic software in Excel to demonstrate several ways in which graphical and numerical approaches can be introduced both to enhance student understanding of l'Hopital's Rule and to explain why the Rule actually works to give the "right" answers. One of the approaches used is to visualize what is happening by examining…

This article illustrates ways that dynamic software using some sophisticated techniques in Excel can be used to demonstrate fundamental ideas related to sampling distributions and their properties to increase student understanding of the concepts and methods in elementary statistics courses. The article considers such sampling distributions as the…

This article illustrates ways that dynamic software using some sophisticated techniques in Excel can be used to demonstrate fundamental ideas related to regression and correlation analysis to increase student understanding of the concepts and methods in elementary statistics courses and in courses at the college algebra/precalculus level that…

This article illustrates ways that dynamic software using some sophisticated techniques in Excel can be used to demonstrate fundamental ideas related to hypothesis testing to increase student understanding of the concepts and methods in elementary statistics courses. The article considers hypothesis tests for the population mean with large or…

The authors describe a collection of dynamic interactive simulations for teaching and learning most of the important ideas and techniques of introductory statistics and probability. The modules cover such topics as randomness, simulations of probability experiments such as coin flipping, dice rolling and general binomial experiments, a simulation…

Epicycloids are formed by tracing the path of a fixed point on a circle as it rolls aroung the outside of a larger circle. Examines several possibilities related to epicycloids (and hypocycloids), presenting more mathematical patterns and artistic shapes that result from using several computer programs. Program listings are included. (JN)

Discusses properties of epicycloids. (The easiest way to picture them is to think of a piece of radioactive bubble gum attached to a wheel which is rolling around the outside of a larger wheel.) Includes a computer program (TRS-80 color computer) that will graph any epicycloid with integer values for the radii. (JN)

Lists 12 reasons to use the computer in undergraduate mathematics. Describes the appropriate roles and expectations for computer usage in the 17 mathematics offerings in 2-year colleges. Discusses anticipated types of software and their mathematical applications. (YP)