"Incorporating Writing in an Integrated Calculus, Linear Algebra and Differential Equations Sequence"
In many universities across the country writing is being stressed throughout the curriculum. Faculty see the need to expose students to more writing and to teach the students the correct writing styles for their disciplines. Since 1991 the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse has required students to take a writing intensive course in their major. The Mathematics Department first addressed this requirement by offering various courses as writing intensive; instructors would decide when they wished to teach a course with a writing emphasis. There were various drawbacks to this system, and in 1998 the Department changed its format to a writing intensive sequence. Writing is incorporated throughout a four-semester sequence integrating calculus, linear algebra and differential equations. In this paper the specific courses in this sequence are described along with how the writing has been implemented in each course. Ideas are also given for how to efficiently handle the additional paper load so students receive the necessary feedback while keeping the grading time reasonable.