Arizona State Adopts AI-Powered Calculus Learning Platform

Gradarius

Image: Stevens Institute of Technology/Jan Cannizzo

Arizona State University is expanding its use of an online calculus application with built-in artificial intelligence. Currently, two courses — Calculus for Business and Calculus for Engineering — are using Gradarius from Castle Point Learning Systems, which personalizes the learning based on topics already understood and those still to be learned. The university expects to deploy the learning platform in additional courses in the coming semesters.

The software offers interactive functionality, including step-by-step feedback and guided problem-solving, to help users master calculus concepts. As they step through problems, the program points out mistakes and offers hints. When students make mistakes, the program pinpoints what part of the solution was wrong and offers guidance on how to correct it.

"As part of our mission at ASU, we look to provide our students with the educational tools they need in order to be successful in their academic journey. We look forward to working with Castle Point Learning Systems in incorporating the Gradarius platform into our courses," said Sean Hobson, chief design officer for EdPlus at ASU, in a statement.

Gradarius — Latin for "going step-by-step" — was created at Stevens Institute of Technology by math professors who were concerned that students with an interest in STEM were struggling with calculus, and therefore changing majors or dropping out of their calculus courses to avoid failure. According to the company, the Institute has used the program for the past five years. In 2017 Stevens calculus classes dropped their textbooks; now students use lecture notes provided by faculty online and chat with their instructors through the software, which issues the problems for them to solve.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • abstract illustration of a glowing AI-themed bar graph on a dark digital background with circuit patterns

    Stanford 2025 AI Index Reveals Surge in Adoption, Investment, and Global Impact as Trust and Regulation Lag Behind

    Stanford University's Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) has released its AI Index Report 2025, measuring AI's diverse impacts over the past year.

  • modern college building with circuit and brain motifs

    Anthropic Launches Claude for Education

    Anthropic has announced a version of its Claude AI assistant tailored for higher education institutions. Claude for Education "gives academic institutions secure, reliable AI access for their entire community," the company said, to enable colleges and universities to develop and implement AI-enabled approaches across teaching, learning, and administration.

  • lightbulb

    Call for Speakers Now Open for Tech Tactics in Education: Overcoming Roadblocks to Innovation

    The annual virtual conference from the producers of Campus Technology and THE Journal will return on September 25, 2025, with a focus on emerging trends in cybersecurity, data privacy, AI implementation, IT leadership, building resilience, and more.

  • From Fire TV to Signage Stick: University of Utah's Digital Signage Evolution

    Jake Sorensen, who oversees sponsorship and advertising and Student Media in Auxiliary Business Development at the University of Utah, has navigated the digital signage landscape for nearly 15 years. He was managing hundreds of devices on campus that were incompatible with digital signage requirements and needed a solution that was reliable and lowered labor costs. The Amazon Signage Stick, specifically engineered for digital signage applications, gave him the stability and design functionality the University of Utah needed, along with the assurance of long-term support.