Delivery of Integral Calculus at Maseno University: Is STACK Really Playing an Integral Part?

Abstract

Abstract—Integral Calculus II is a second-year undergraduate course offered by the Department of Pure and Applied Mathematics at Maseno University. It is one of the 20 foundational courses with a high enrolment of about 800 students drawn from the school of Mathematics, Education, Science, and Business. Because of the large number of enrollments in these foundational courses, and the small number of teaching staff, instructors face challenges in providing immediate personalized feedback that can guide learning. Systems for Teaching and Assessment which use Computer Algebra Kernerl, STACK, a computer-aided assessment plug-in that provides a sophisticated assessment in mathematics-related disciplines, was used to deploy Continuous Assessment Tests (CAT) in the course for 370 students. This paper reports on the findings of the course based on a comparison between student test scores in STACK and in the final course exam.