A Two Day Proof Evaluation In Calculus I
Student Comments

September 29, 1999

I thoroughly enjoyed proving the theorems. I like doing the proofs because it solidifies the ideas in my head. Also, it is fun and challenging.

Student A

I don't really mind proving the theorems. I like to know why things work. I just have problems remembering how to prove the theorems.

Student B

I think that proving the theorems yesterday and today has been the most valuable and enjoyable use to which we have ever put class time. The thrill and exhilaration of showing that a mathematical statement is true using air-tight reasoning is nearly unparalleled in the academic world. The proofs yesterday and today were some of the most astonishing and beautiful proofs I have ever seen.

Student C

The theorems have been both enjoyable and frustrating. Until I understood what was happening, it was very frustrating. Once I began to understand the concepts, it was enjoyable because I was actually learning something.

Student D

I guess proving the theorems is instructional, but I can't honestly say it's fun. Sometimes it actually is disorienting and it hurts. But that's how I learn stuff. Yesterday was better (more fun) because I started out with a clue.

Student E

Yesterday: a little frustrated because I was trying to recall general formula of polynomial while doing the proof at same time.

Today: more fun because we all seemed to be together proving it.

Student F

The theorems we have been working on in class sometimes confuse me. But after we work them out in class and I do them later (practice)it gets easier. I'm not saying they're easy now, but I understand them greater. The ones dealing with sin, cos and tan confuse me the most, like today's.

Student G

Generally I knew how to do a lot but had to think about previous stepsand finally knew what went where and then I enjoyed it. It was interesting but not without struggle.

As we continued with these, I enjoyed it because it came out to be something more feasible and palpable rather than working with many variables we can work with one, i.e. cos x instead of sn x.

Student H

Honestly, I hate proofs, but they are very helpful and make for a good learning experience. Trig proofs are a lot harder for me. I like the proof yesterday.

Student I

I kind of enjoy them, yesterday and todays theorem, whenever you are proving them because I kind of understand what you're doing. But whenever I tried to apply them they don't make so much sense to me and they are not as much fun as I think they would be and I don't know why.

Student J

I really don't like proofs. I was not here yesterday. I realy don't feel anything. I don't know.

Student K

I only enjoyed proving the theorems/problems when I started to grasp what was going on. When I didn't grasp it, I did not like it at all. I have started tounderstand the material yesterday and today and when I com0letely understand it I will enjoy it.

Student L

I enjoyed proving the theorems very much. It is always fun to know how a theorem came about. These theorems yesterday and today amaze me because they help us take something complicated and make it easier for us.

Student M

d/dx (sin x) = cos x is easy to prove and at the same time very interesting. These theorems involve certain other theorems which we used in problem solving. It goes step-by-step making it simpler all the more finally giving a much more simple answer.

Student N

Proof

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