Abstract
A few years ago we began to revamp our introductory physics course for life science students.1 We knew that this cohort would be less prepared and less adventurous mathematically than engineering, physical science, or mathematics majors. Moreover, from our own experience and the mathematics education literature,2-4 we knew that trigonometry would be particularly challenging. Based on these circumstances, we decided to systematically probe the following questions: What is the range of students' initial knowledge with respect to trigonometry? Is reviewing trigonometric concepts valuable and/or necessary? Can students see the trigonometric equations describing oscillations as conveying an idea, in addition to being a tool to get “the answer”?
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