Formal Course Description

Topics covered include The limit of a function, calculating limits, continuity, tangents, velocities, and other instantaneous rates of change. Derivatives, the chain rule, implicit differentiation, higher derivatives. Exponential functions, inverse functions, and their derivatives. The mean value theorem, monotonic functions, concavity, and points of inflection. Applied maximum and minimum problems. Course is delivered online through Canvas.

Course Commentary

Teaching this course was a bit unexpected, but a positive experience overall. A week before the quarter started I was asked to step in and teach this course as the previously scheduled professor had a medical emergency. However, I was the ideal candidate to teach this course as I had been a teaching assistant for this online course and its sequel, Calculus 2 online (along with the in-person versions), and I had created content and completed technical work for the launch of the online version of the next course in the series, multivariable and vector calculus 1 online. With my prior experience teaching and being an administrator for these online calculus courses, I had an intimate knowledge of how to make the course run smoothly and knew the common complaints and pain points of the students in prior courses. This was my chance to teach an online course and incorporate student feedback to make the course better or everyone involved. For example, exam review materials were created and incorporated into the course, supplementary problems were created, and the exam format was improved to better incorporate students showing their work.  

One highlight of teaching this course was the positive feedback I received from students about the clear expectations, consistent announcements, and implementation of additional review materials, administrative details, and supplementary exercises. After several quarters of working with the online calculus courses at UC Santa Cruz, I was happy to be in a position where I could actively and easily incorporate student feedback and respond positively to student requests; normally as a teaching assistant we have very little control over the direction of the course or what changes (if any) can be made, but teaching and improving a course I had been involved with previously gave me a strong ownership of the material and pride in my work.