Resumen de Airfol design in multivariable calculus: tying it all together.

Rich Laverty, Timothy Povich, Tasha Williams

• Near the conclusion of their final term in the calculus sequence at The United States Military Academy, cadets are given a week long group project. At the end of the week, the project is briefed to their instructors, classmates, and superior officers. From a teaching perspective, the goal is to encapsulate as much of the course as possible in one coherent student endeavor. We (the authors) developed a project that asked cadets to redesign the shape of a wing to improve performance, yet maintain costs. What we learned while helping cadets complete the project, during their briefings, and from a post-project survey provided insights to help improve the project and the entire course. Cadet performance clearly revealed what course topics needed more time and which were learned thoroughly. This paper is an overview of the project, its administration and how the project was seen from both the instructor and cadet viewpoints. We also discuss lessons we learned to improve the project and integration of technology into calculus courses.