Active learning through interactive texts based on Mathematica Notebooks Jerry Uhl juhl@ncsa.uiuc.edu Professor of Mathematics 1409 West Green Street University of Illinois Urbana,Illinois 61801 Calculus&Mathematica Development Team (703) 765-9000 This talk will discuss the following basic principles used to lay out interactive texts for active learning: o Give students work whose importance they recognize. o Give the students professional tools. o Communicate new ideas visually and experimentally; get an idea across before putting language on it. o When the language goes on, make it plain everyday American and minimize math jargon. o Give the students a chance to organize their thoughts by explaining themselves in writing. o Give the students the opportunity to learn the math, the programming and the writing in context. o Get the instructor out of the way and give the students the freedom to think for themselves. Examples from Calculus & Mathematica (Addison-Wesley, 1994) and new courses in Matrix Theory and Differential equations will be given.