Comment Re:You ares testing students the wrong way (Score 1) 241
Most questions on calculus tests I've taken don't have numeric answers. "Solve for X" was to be answered with the equation..
My example with a normal calculator above shows how to verify your answer.
As a trivial example, "solve d(x^2)/dx". Well duh, the answer is 2*x, but you can numerically verify that: Evaluate x^2 at 1 and 1.001. You get 1 and 1.002001. The difference times 1000 then is 2.001. Now evaluate your answer at 1: You get 2. Yup, your answer is probably right.
Similarly, even the lamest programmable calculator can do numerical integration. So again, just numerically integrate your original function from 0 to 1 or whatever and verify that your integral answer formula produces a similar number.
I did this quite regularly in calculus exams. Saved my ass repeatedly. You can also plug your test number into your intermediate steps to see where it changes -- that will be the place you made a mistake.
So yes calculators are useful in calculus exams, even if it's not a monster like the HP50g that does full symbolic calculus.