This applet is a sub-site of the Math Applets for Calculus at SLU site. This applet provides a graphical interface through which the user can visualize and explore five sequences and their corresponding series. The user has control over a number of parameters including the number of terms, whether to plot terms, sums or ratios, and whether to plot points or lines.
Type of Material:
Simulation and demonstration.
Recommended Uses:
A source of lab assignments or similar activities. Also, useful for classroom demonstration.
Technical Requirements:
Java-enabled browser.
Identify Major Learning Goals:
This site provides students and teachers with a computer-based activity for the study of sequences and series.
Target Student Population:
Students studying Differential Calculus of a singe variable.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
Basic introduction to sequences and series and an understanding of limits.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
This applet provides the ability to visualize several sequences and series at the same time. With options to show terms (that is, just the underlying sequence) or the sum (the series), student will certainly appreciate the difference between these concepts.
The applet can produce the graphs of up to five sequences. The first two of the sequences are user defined. For the remaining three, the user sets parameters for sequences that typically are of importance in the study of sequences and series, namely a geometric sequence, a harmonic sequence, and a sequence for the Taylor series of the exponential function.
Also, this applet includes a worksheet that will guide students through their own experimentation and discovery.
Concerns:
None.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
Teachers will find this an effective demonstration tool for comparing the behaviors of several sequences at once. For one thing, the different appearance between convergent and non-convergent series should become evident. Students could use the included sample worksheet as an outside lab assignment.
Concerns:
Since n to view does not work (see below), this severely limits the ability to focus on important parts of the graph of the series.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
The applet is easy to use (with exceptions noted below). The function of each button and check box is obvious and is clearly explained in the help panel
Concerns:
Instructions are a bit scanty. One learns to start a new graph by hitting the enter key by trial and error. Also, one learns that the factorial of n is written fact(n) rather than n! by noticing the example that is given on the main panel. The parameter called n to view does not seem to work. While it changes the numerical values for partial sums it does not change the horizontal dimension of the viewing rectangle.
Creative Commons:
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