Design of a WEB Based MATLAB Teaching Course -- Issues Involved and Lessons Learned
Dapeng Tien and Elsen Ong
tid@titan.np.ac.sg
Dept of EE
Ngee Ann Polytechnic
Singapore
Abstract
In order to help the engineers who are currently working in different companies and have limited time to attend formal classroom lessons, the authors have developed a WWW based package to introduce Matlab. This paper will discuss and highlight the issues involved in designing a WWW based course to introduce Matlab to students,
Rather than putting straightforward Matlab materials on the WWW and making the web an electronic page turner, the design strategy concentrated on enhancing higher-order thinking skills, i.e. the ability to apply critical and creative thinking skills to formulate and solve problems via designed simulation, exercise and on-line guidance. This kind of design has created a high level of interaction.
This paper will also draw attention to the fact that poorly designed computerised learning systems can result in the lowering of the overall effectiveness of information technology (IT) in promoting both the thinking and learning processes.
The paper asserts that, with the great advances in technology, the role of teachers and lecturers in classrooms can not be completely eliminated. Classroom training combined with long distance learning via WWW can provide better results than either of these approaches
© Asian Technology Conference in Mathematics, 1998. |
