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Business math class replaces books with computers

Students enrolled in the Eller College of Business and Public Administration's business math sequence never have to worry about carrying textbooks around.

In fact, they do not have textbooks at all.

Two classes - Business Math 1 and Business Math 2 - have been phasing out traditional business mathematics in favor of computers since January 1999. The courses are a joint venture between the Eller College and the math department.

The courses are designed specifically for business majors, and all work will be done on a computer. Notes are available on the Internet for students to download.

"There are a set of Excel, PowerPoint and Word files students must download," said Bill McCallum, professor of mathematics and instructor of Business Math 1. "Instructors use a laptop and projector to teach the class."

McCallum said in the business math courses, mathematics is presented as a tool with which to solve business problems. More emphasis is placed on computer-generated data.

"We teach how to use Excel and how it can be used to solve business problems," McCallum said. "Basically there is a lot of emphasis on how the numbers are produced and how to interpret them."

Patrick Gizzi, a finance and accounting sophomore, took Business Math 1 this semester. Gizzi said he enjoyed learning how to use math in a business context.

"I liked that math was involved with business - it's better than calculus math that you could only hope to use," he said.

But Gizzi said he would rather have a textbook for the course.

"I would rather have a textbook because it's easier to follow," Gizzi said. "In class we always have to refer to our notes, but I don't think the notes on the Internet help very much. If you're going to take the class you pretty much have to get to a computer or you're dead."

Chris Lamero, head of the finance department and co-founder of the courses, said the requirement for students to have computer access has not created a problem yet.

"Our strong experience is that students have absolutely no problems getting access to computers," Lamero said. "That has not been an issue."

Lamero said he helped develop the new courses because he thought the old business calculus and finite math failed to serve the needs of business students or the expectations of instructors.

"I think most of the business school students had the experience of taking math classes and thinking they were not pertinent," Lamero said. "And people in the math department thought the students weren't using the skills they were being taught."

The Eller College and the math department then developed the two new courses to cater specifically to business majors, Lamero said.

Students work in groups, trying to solve a problem which they receive at the beginning of the course. McCallum said that in a typical problem, students must decide how to deal with a borrower who cannot repay a loan.

"Students have to decide whether to foreclose on the loan or work out a payment schedule (with the borrower)," McCallum said. "While the decision is simple, the math is quite complex."

McCallum emphasized that while students use computers to complete their projects, they are responsible for understanding the underlying mathematical concepts.

"I had a group of students who were angry with me this semester," McCallum said.

"Their numbers were right but they didn't get such a good grade because they could not explain how they got the numbers. It showed they really didn't understand," he added.

McCallum said instructors benefit from the new classes as well.

"One of the great aspects for the teachers is how fun it is to teach the course," McCallum said. "The faculty are learning things math faculty do not normally learn about."

The math department and the Eller College will hold a conference in late October to publicize the business math classes to other universities. The old classes will be fully phased out in January.

Jay Dirner can be reached at Jay.Dirner@wildcat.arizona.edu.