In the spring of 2017, Jeremy Becnel and Nick Long explored the development of multivariable calculus course materials in a virtual reality environment. Through support from the Provost’s Office at Stephen F. Austin State University, Drs. Becnel and Long were able to create and release an app for smartphones using the Google Cardboard framework that involved lessons and demonstrations that combined the strengths of guided videos and visualization software with user input. Version 1.0 of CalcVR was released on August 16th, 2017. In the summer of 2018, Drs. Becnel and Long were awarded a National Science Foundation grant (DUE-1820724) to further develop the CalcVR app and accompanying course materials, as well as test the materials’ educational effectiveness. Our project involves student interviews and the SALG (Student Assessment of Learning Gains) as formative assessment, as well as an advisory board of faculty who have implemented innovative projects involving technology, visualizations, and complementary course materials.
The CalcVR app and Supplemental materials are available to everyone free of cost, and we look forward to growing the community of users for CalcVR. Be sure to register as a user to get email updates and read our blog posts for more info on the CalcVR project.
CalcVR Development Team
Dr. Jeremy Becnel
Dr. Jeremy Becnel received his Ph.D. in 2007 from Louisiana State University. He is a professor in the Department of Computer Science at Stephen F. Austin University. Dr. Becnel has served as the PI or Co-PI on several external and internal grants, including grants from the NSF and NSA. Dr. Becnel is the author or coauthor of numerous publications including areas such as STEM Education, Quantum Computing, Radon transforms, and infinite dimensional analysis. He recently published the book Tools for Infinite Demensional Analysis. Dr. Becnel has overseen many undergraduate research projects and participated in several outreach activities including visits to high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools, overseeing activities during SFA STEM events, creation of the Girl Scout STEM Day, judging science fairs, and serving as the Department of Computer Science’s liaison with the SFA STEM High School Academy.
Dr. Nicholas Long
Dr. Nicholas Long received his Ph.D. in Mathematics in 2008 from the University of Maryland, College Park and has been a faculty member in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Stephen F. Austin State University since the fall of 2008. Dr. Long’s traditional research interests involve dynamical systems and ergodic theory. Much of his recent work has involved developing materials for multivariable Calculus and visualizations, including CalcVR, new modules for Active Calculus Multivariable (with Mitch Keller), and materials using Sage and Jupyter notebooks. He has also been active in the Inquiry Based Learning (IBL) and Standards/Mastery Based Grading (SBG) communities.
Students who have worked on the CalcVR Project
- Josh Harris – Surfaces of Revolutions
- Randall Robin – Marching Cubes
- Dylan Jager-Kujawa – Version Control and Controller Support
- Jace Archer – Menu Creation