Maple gives calculus students a headache

The University's Class of 1997 has been officially unified by traditions ranging from the yawn-laden ceremonies of Convocation to the freak-fest of Frankenstein. But now there's Maple, a brand of mathematics software that is truly bringing freshmen together. From the top floors of freshman-inhabited High Rise East to Butcher basement in the Quadrangle, freshmen from all schools are experiencing the program, which is a requisite in all introductory calculus classes. Freshmen use Maple, a new computer program, when doing calculus homework assignments. Undergraduate Mathematics Chairperson Dennis De Turck said Maple brings the math department "into the second half of the 20th century." "This is the way mathematics is done," De Turck said. "This isn't pedagogical software, it's professional software. This is bringing a touch of realism into what's usually a too abstract classroom." But eight out of 10 freshmen randomly surveyed seem to prefer a less technical mathematics experience. "Maple sucks," Engineering freshman Deniz Cultu said without hesitation. "I don't like it. It's unorganized, it's not presented well, the professors aren't even sure how to use it, you don't know who to go to for help – it's just badly run." College freshman Nicole George said she is not only frustrated with the program, but the hefty price of the software only rubbed salt in the wound. "I hate it," George said. "I think it's stupid. I don't even know why we need it. I don't even understand why they assigned it. Plus, it cost $165 for the whole package. That's just too much money for one course." Others questioned the necessity of having to use such a program in the first place. "It takes forever to figure out," Wharton freshman Ayanna Victorin said. "We've only done one assignment, but we didn't learn anything. You spend so much time typing that it takes four hours to do 10 problems." College freshman Stefan Slowinski is of a popular freshman school of thought – he's taking Calculus, not Computers 101. "I was never too good with computers, so I didn't think I'd have to do it when I took calculus," Slowinski said. "It seems to be something totally different from what we're doing in the textbook or class. But I have no choice." Even some of Maple's freshmen supporters aren't "sure if it really makes sense." "It seems like it's taking people two to three times longer to do their math," College freshman George Stowers said. "For basic problems, I'm not sure it's necessary. I think in the long run, though, computers are the way to go." DeTurck would be inclined to agree. "I think we're in the midst of what someone said was teething pain," he said. "There were lots of problems of a lot of different natures. It's a battle with the machine, and I understand that. It's an interesting experience." Many of Maple's detractors are particularly peeved about the grading factor of their predicament. "I think that it is unfair that it counts for 20 percent of our grade when our own teachers don't know how to use it," College freshman Natasha Vernon said. "They're using us as an experiment, but they just can't have it working so much toward our grade." But, while DeTurck plans to make adjustments to accommodate students who need help, such as increased availability of staff who know the program, he said the grade factor will "probably not change." But mutiny may be brewing within the freshman ranks. "It's about time that the Math Department simply admitted its mistake by properly teaching us, or by refunding the money they spent on it," College freshman Adam Strunk said. "I heard a rumor that people were circulating petitions against it." Such rumors, however, are as yet unsubstantiated – and that suits Engineering freshman Raj Iyer just fine. "I think Maple is actually pretty decent and a lot of people are just complaining and crying, in all honesty," Iyer said. "Why bitch about it? I haven't had much difficulty in picking it up."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.