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I'm doing some research about cooperative learning in vector calculus.

It seems like what cooperative learning in calculus is referred to varies over time. In 1987, there was an MAA book, Calculus for a New Century: A Pump, Not a Filter that used the term "calculus reform". In the early 90s there was a lot of talk about a "laboratory approach." I found a 1991 MAA book, the Laboratory Approach to Teaching Calculus, a 1993 MAA book Learning by Discovery: A Lab Manual for Calculus. Then in the mid to late 90s people were referring to "cooperative learning." Then there's a 1995 MAA book called A Practical Guide to Cooperative Learning in Collegiate Mathematics and a 1997 MAA book called Readings in Cooperative Learning for Undergraduate Mathematics.

More specifically to vector calculus, Dray and Manogue (http://k12s.phast.umass.edu/stemtec/pathways/Proceedings/Papers/Dray-p.pdf) write about using cooperative groups to bridge the gap between vector calculus and physics. But they don't seem to cite any of the work from the 90s.

So then the questions I have are - Who else besides Dray and Manogue are using cooperative groups in vector calculus (or in calculus in general)? What are those that are using cooperative groups in calculus currently calling it? (Is there a new term besides "calculus reform", "laboratory," or "cooperative learning"?) How does whatever is being done in the present connect to the work in the 80s and the 90s?

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    $\begingroup$ I recommend asking EITHER about vector calculus teaching OR about the history of "cooperative" and allied movements in calculus, but not both in the same post. Dray and Montague's paper does not use the word "cooperative", so I wouldn't expect any close connection between their article and the MAA books. $\endgroup$
    – user173
    Jul 7, 2014 at 18:42
  • $\begingroup$ I'm not necessarily implying that they read these particular books, but I am curious to know what else "is up" with vector calculus teaching and whether others besides them are doing cooperative learning. And if so, what new names it goes by in 2014 as opposed to 1996 and whether it's just a name shift or an actual shift in practice. $\endgroup$
    – James S.
    Jul 7, 2014 at 19:12
  • $\begingroup$ Can you define, for the readers here, what qualifies something as a cooperative group / cooperative learning? Since you are asking what "it" is currently called, what do you consider "it" to be? Definition ambiguity is one of the difficulties "discovery learning" faced. It's especially problematic when everyday words like "discovery" and "cooperative" are used, allowing people to go with assumptions. Since it's possible that not all groups are cooperative, what--for you--qualifies? Dray and Manogue don't use the term "cooperative" in that paper, I think. Is it just any groups? $\endgroup$
    – JPBurke
    Jul 8, 2014 at 2:03
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    $\begingroup$ in the age of facebook maybe initiatives like facebook.com/AlgebraMultilineal could paved the way into a deeper involvement of minds of all ages : ) $\endgroup$
    – janmarqz
    Sep 20, 2015 at 17:27

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