Interactive Applied Math Laboratory

通过这个项目，数学、统计和计算机科学系提供了一个基于图形的交互式应用数学实验室，以激发学生在两门课程中积极的动手学习，这两门课程每年总共招收290名学生：第一原理，数学建模课程，计算建模；以及微分方程的第一门课，微分方程。在这些课程中，新设备将传统的以教师为中心的被动授课转变为要求学生发挥积极作用的课堂。实验室由26台彩色X终端、单色激光打印机、计算机服务器和用于统计/数据分析、符号操作和文档准备的软件组成。在项目期间，将开设以教师为中心和以学生为中心的微分方程课程，以获取项目评估所需的数据。学生积极参与解决问题，学生主动调查问题，而不是被动地等待指示，这是这个项目的主要教学成果。有了新的计算机硬件和软件，学生们不仅能够研究更多的问题，而且能够比纸笔方法更详细地研究更现实的问题。

Through this project, the Department of Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science provides a graphics-based, interactive applied mathematics laboratory to stimulate active, hands-on learning in two courses that together enroll 290 students annually: A first principles, mathematical modeling course, Computational Modeling; and a first course in differential equations, Differential Equations. In these courses, the new equipment transforms a traditional passive, instructor-centered lecture into a classroom requiring an active role by students. The laboratory is made up of 26 color X terminals, monochrome laser printer, computer server, and software for statistical/data analysis, symbolic manipulation, and documentation preparation. During the project period, instructor-centered and student-centered sections of the Differential Equations course are being run in order to obtain data for project evaluation. The active engagement of students in problem solving, where students initiate the investigation of the problem rather than passively waiting for directions, is a major pedagogical outcome of this project. With the new computing hardware and software, students not only are able to examine more problems, they ar able to examine more realistic problems in far greater detail than paper and pencil methods.