Connecting Calculus 2 Curriculum with Career Skills - April 2025

Students connecting Calculus 2 with career skills.

Student group projects will focus on concepts of the Calculus II course, especially topics relating to finding the volumes of a revolving solid and surface areas and using integration techniques to evaluate integrals. From my teaching experience, students often have difficulty understanding the concepts behind these topics and cannot make connections between what they have learned and real-world careers. Therefore, for student projects, we will implement CalcPlot3D to deepen students’ understanding of these concepts and how to connect them to their future careers. CalcPlot3D is a recently developed JavaScript, a free online visualization app designed to explore concepts of multivariable calculus and those in many other higher-level mathematics courses.

Students will present their group projects incorporating hands-on activities in a pencil-paper format and via CalcPlot3D. The purpose of the group projects is to provide an innovative learning environment connecting directly to the concepts of Calculus II that students learn in class. By the completion of the projects, students should have developed specific fundamental skills (e.g., the skills of collaboration, leadership, time management, etc.) that they need when pursuing careers. To accomplish the purpose of the projects, students will be provided with step-by-step instructions, such as how to approximate the volume of a solid, as well as rubrics for the projects so that students understand what the expectations are. In conclusion, the group projects will bring interactive visualizations through CalcPlot3D to collaborative learning, thus not only promoting students’ understanding through engagement but also strengthening students’ skills of collaborating with their peers.

Student Speakers

Rajeev Lalsa

Computer Studies student.

Has unstoppable passion for all things tech. Fascinated by tiny robots, drones, and building insane computers just for fun. Whether it's tinkering with circuits, coding up wild ideas, or pushing hardware to its limits, he loves bringing concepts to life. If it moves, flies, or computes in an awesome way, chances are he is either working on it—or at least dreaming about it!

Ahmed Haroun

Computer Studies student.

Passionate about problem-solving and logical thinking. Enjoys building software that makes a real impact, whether it's mobile apps, web platforms, or innovative tech solutions.

Steven Ong

Computer Studies student.

Sponsor and Instructor

Dr. Yonghong McDowell