An Evaluation of Calculus Instruction in a Full Credit System and Suggestions for Improvement: A Case Study

Abstract

Considered to be an improved educational mechanism, the full credit system has been adopted by many universities in China. Although it is advantageous for undergraduate students, the impact of this change has challenged the educational administration management system, current teaching methodologies, teachers' competencies, as well as the learning abilities of students. In order to investigate the impact of this change, we examined the effects of changing this system on calculus instruction in Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. We distributed a questionnaire to freshmen and sophomores in order to assess its impact on teaching, academic administration, calculus instruction, and the behavioral patterns of students. After analyzing the results of the questionnaire, four major issues were identified, and six suggestions for improvement are proposed