MA 242 Multivariable Calculus

Welcome! This site provides an overview for the online section of MA 242 Multivariable Calculus (Calculus III), with Dr. Bevin Maultsby. My aim to address common questions and concerns students have about signing up for an online calculus course at NC State University.

Important Registration Information

If the course is full or has reserved seats, we encourage you to join the waitlist. We process enrollment from the waitlist in the order received, and this process typically around two weeks before the semester begins. Historically, many students successfully enroll through this method. Please see this page for more information: Waitlisted students

Course Schedule and Academic Planning

Future course calendars are tentative. I update the calendars immediately to reflect any changes.

Asynchronous Course Delivery

This course is hosted on Moodle and is accessible a week before classes start. It offers a flexible learning schedule without live sessions, and students are encouraged to follow a recommended viewing schedule that aligns with homework and exam dates.

Online Examinations

There are three semester tests and a final exam. Your examinations are fully online, in Moodle--there is no written component to any exam. You must arrange for a suitable approved proctor to administer each exam, depending on your situation:

  • If you live less than 50 miles away from Raleigh, NC, then you will take your tests on our campus through the Distance Education Testing Centers. Students should be mindful of closing hours for both Testing Centers, and give themselves plenty of time to complete their exams. For additional details, please visit https://testing-services.delta.ncsu.edu/testing-services-on-campus/ .
  • Those students who live more than 50 miles away from Raleigh, NC do not have to take their tests on NCSU campus. They may use a proctor in their town for testing. The proctor must be approved in advance through DELTA (not the instructor). It can take up to 1 week to verify a proctor and set up all needed contact info, so please do this early! Please visit the remote proctor website at https://testing-services.delta.ncsu.edu/testing-services-remote/.
  • Examity is not allowed.

The exams are administered over a 3-4 day window, and I encourage you to schedule your testing appointments as soon as you can (typically DELTA begins scheduling on the first day of class). Times fill up!

You are allowed to bring one scientific (non-graphing) calculator with you into the exam. Your proctor should provide scrap paper, and there is a built-in scientific calculator within the exam itself for you to use. There are practice tests in Moodle that will allow you to practice using this calculator.

Important note: there is no reason to wait to learn when your scheduled final exams will occur. This schedule is already determined at this exam calendar link, so please go ahead and choose an appropriate time for your final exam.

Course Materials and Homework

Like all calculus sections at NC State, we use WebAssign, by Cengage. There is no course key for this section. You will gain access to WebAssign through Moodle. Cengage opens the assignments on the first day of class.

WebAssign also includes a digital textbook, under the Resources tab.

Course Units Overview

  • Unit 1: Vectors and Euclidean Geometry in R^3
  • Unit 2: The Geometry of Curves
  • Unit 3: Differentiable Multivariable Functions (includes surfaces)
  • Unit 4: Multiple Integrals in Cartesian Coordinates
  • Unit 5: Multiple Integrals in Curvilinear Coordinates (polar, cylindrical, spherical)
  • Unit 6: Line and Surface Integrals
  • Unit 7: Vector Analysis (the fundamental theorems)

You must have a solid grasp of the basic trig functions (sine, cosine, and tangent), the exponential and logarithmic functions, limits, and derivatives to succeed in this course.

Lecture Videos and Additional Resources

The lecture videos are available in Moodle (and my students should watch them there, as there are lecture activities to complete). For a reference, here are the videos:

MA 242 Multivariable Calculus/Calculus III -- full semester course:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBEl4BT8wUgOqJCBijQxClMIuumgtMinc

Here are some particular playlists:

Tips for Success

  • Follow the posted Course Calendar in Moodle! Many students cite this as the #1 reason why they were able to stay on track.
  • Participate in the course forum.
  • Take notes during the lectures. The lectures are fast-paced, I didn't build in long pauses. However, you should pause the video on each example and make sure that you have worked through it (ideally by hand, in something like a spiral notebook). Learning math is active, not passive.
  • If you have time, do the additional WebWork problems. These are not for a grade, but give you extra problems with auto-grading (for self checks).
  • Read my emails! I put important info there. If you aren't getting 2-3 emails per week from me, check your spam folder and make a point of visiting the Announcements forum in Moodle.
  • Commit to working every day M-F. Distance Education courses require a lot of discipline and organization. Many students like to schedule "working hours" for themselves. (This may look like one block of time, or perhaps a morning session and an afternoon session.)
Good luck!