Pearson Launches Calculus Homework Helper | Digital Learning - Inside Higher Ed

Pearson has developed a sophisticated mobile app for students struggling with calculus. But in a crowded marketplace, will it stand out?, according to Lindsay McKenzie, Technology Reporter at Inside Higher Ed.

Photo: Pearson's Aida calculus app

Efforts to reform the way college calculus is taught began in the late 1980s, but more than 30 years later, many students are still struggling with the subject.
At least one semester of calculus is required for almost all students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering or mathematics, but nearly one-third of students fail or drop the course.

“Calculus is an unseen barrier to STEM careers. It’s a leak in the pipeline,” said Milena Marinova, senior vice president of artificial intelligence products and solutions at Pearson.
For the past 10 months, Marinova and her team have been working on a solution -- a mobile app called Aida that Pearson hopes will help students master college calculus. (The name is a portmanteau of “AI” and “Ada,” for Ada Lovelace, the pioneering computer scientist.)...

David Bressoud, DeWitt Wallace Professor of Mathematics at Macalester College in Minnesota and director of the Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences, is a Pearson author who informally advised Pearson developers during the creation of the app.
Many students taking calculus in college have already taken calculus in high school, but this does not guarantee they will pass the college-level course. In fact, Bressoud argues that studying calculus in high school can be detrimental, as students don't spend enough time building foundational knowledge.
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Source: Inside Higher Ed