Didactics research

Research topic at NALAG: Information technology in an undergraduate (Numerical) Mathematics course

Researchers

• A. Bultheel
• M. Van Barel
• H. Vanaenroyde
• P. Vansevenant
• S. Van de Laer

Description

This research has been discontinued.

With the coming of computer algebra systems, many people started to think about approaching the teaching and learning of mathematics in a different way. This difference lies in the use of those systems to help students explore graphical, numerical and symbolic aspects of mathematics. More and more teachers are convinced of the importance for students to discover mathematics on their own. By using those systems this becomes possible.

We create interactive computermodules with the aid of the computer algebra system Maple and Authorware. In doing so we address to students of the first year engineer for their course 'higher mathematics'. In these computermodules we introduce concrete everyday problems and guide the students trough their investigation of those problems and the mathematics involved. We try to use the computer as an experimental tool. Students have to discover the underlying mathematics in the problems presented. They then are invited to explore the mathematics and this by reflecting on and answering questions we pose, by experimenting with examples,...

The aim of the creation of such computermodules is to be able to investigate the effectiveness of those modules. We want to test if this way of teaching mathematics is more effective than the classical way:

• Will the students understand better the mathematics included in the course ?
• Will the students understand better the properties of some mathematical subjects ? Will they remember them better because they have 'discovered' them theirselves ?
• Will they be more able to applicate the mathematics in other situations then those presented in the modules ?
• Will they be more able to analyze given problems ?

Relevant project

Is the OOI project about first year math courses.

Similar ideas apply to numerical mathematics courses. The learning platform that is being developed includes an interactive helpdesk for the lecture notes, a discussion group, all kind of software and animations that are available for experimentation. Questions and brain teasers are provided and an interactive electronic questionaire system is in preparation.
The idea is also to integrate examples from other curses into the numerical analysis course and thus to work towards a horizontal integration of the curriculum. However, it is also the intention to make links with subsequent numerical analysis courses to come to a vertical integration.

Relevant projects visnue and ipon.

Some progress reports are available in Dutch.