Interactive and Multimedia Learning in Mathematics

Chun-pong Lau *

cplau@eee.hku.hk
Tat-chung Chau
Tat-yung Poon
Wai-kin Tsui
E. Herbert Li

Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
University of Hong Kong
Porkfulam Road, Hong Kong

* Now working for the computing center in The University of Hong Kong

Abstract     

In order to solve the problem faced by most of the students in Hong Kong conducting recipe learning, we would like to enhance their understanding by web based interactive multimedia learning tools. We, however, find that the existing packages are limited in its functionality and user-friendliness. Besides, very few of them are Internet-based. We, thus, have developed our own Internet tools, including two-dimensional geometric and vector plotters, a time evolution three-dimensional plotter and an Internet mathematical equation editor. All these tools have the following features: user-friendly, interactive, dynamic, extendible and Internet based. Hence, they are very suitable to be utilized as teaching tools. A research has been conducted to test the effectiveness of them. The result shows that students welcome the use of Internet-based learning tools and they achieve better understanding after using them. This is of course very rewarding and, thus, we are highly motivated to develop more tools of this kind to supplement the normal lecturing of different subjects. More detailed information can be found at http://vied.eee.hku.hk.

? 1999. ATCM, Inc.