Case Study: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute enhances math and engineering curriculum with Maple from Maplesoft

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute expands Maple to 81 faculty across 6 courses with Maplesoft

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) faced a challenge with its calculus curriculum, which was a nationwide stumbling block for students. To improve the teaching of calculus and help students focus on concepts rather than calculations, RPI professors sought to integrate a computer algebra system. They partnered with Maplesoft and used Maple as part of their curriculum reform initiative.

The solution implemented by Maplesoft provided the software that became central to RPI's new teaching approach and its subsequent mobile computing program, which gave all undergraduate students access to Maple on their laptops. The results were a complete conversion of first-year math courses to the new curriculum, making RPI a pioneer in this area. Maplesoft's product was later widely adopted beyond calculus into various engineering and science courses, enhancing the interactive approach to teaching and fostering improved collaboration between departments.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (rpi)