Course content will be organized into units that a student, progressing normally through the course, will cover at the rate of one or two per week. Each unit will end with a short, electronically graded quiz. Except for the quizzes, the electronic material will be available to campus and local users on the Web. The system is designed for active, student-directed learning, as the student chooses how to learn the material. The absence of a routine classroom procedure encourages students to take more initiative and responsibility.
Interactive tutorials provide individualized feedback for students to direct their learning.
The Math Emporium's peer tutors, who guide rather than instruct, will point students toward appropriate resources and strategies. At the same time, comprehensive data collection allows teachers to adjust instruction as the course proceeds, on the basis of continuously monitored performance, and to deliver individualized suggestions and active help where appropriate. In this way, the system offers a personalized dimension that cannot be maintained in the old format. A variety of learning materials, accessible at all hours, together with the in-person help available at the Math Emporium, will allow student and teacher to match learning and teaching styles. Computer-based exercises and quizzes provide a natural, interactive introduction to current computational methods.