This is the summary of a presentation given at the Joint Mathematics Meetings, January 10-13, 1996, Orlando, Florida.

Using the graphic and computational facilities of a computer-algebra system, such as Mathematica, one can create an interactive learning environment, so that students can experience the concepts of Linear Algebra first-hand. Thus, the course can focus on student learning as opposed to our teaching. I have written a complete text for Linear Algebra, following the LACCSG recommendations, which facilitates student interaction by interspersing illustrative Exercises throughout the text. Moreover, it is integrated with a collection of Notebooks and packages which provide visualizations, structured experiments and computational convenience whenever appropriate. As a result, students are enabled to discover the concepts of Linear Algebra independently as they work through the text in small groups. I will discuss my experiences teaching Linear Algebra in such a computer-aided laboratory environment. Specifically, I will describe the structure and outline of the course, the impact on student attitudes and learning, and show examples of student work.

John R. Wicks, North Park College