This project will support the purchase of equipment to improve the delivery of course content and to enhance student discovery of mathematical concepts in courses in linear algebra and numerical analysis. It is being funded under the Instrumentation and Laboratory Improvement (ILI) Program, which has the goal of supporting projects to develop new or improved instrument-based undergraduate laboratory courses in science, mathematics, or engineering. The Instrumentation and Laboratory Improvement Program provides matching support for the instrumentation necessary to implement undergraduate instructional improvements at U.S. colleges and universities. In particular, the main objectives of this project are (1) to make computer-assisted delivery of course content an integral part of the teaching mode, (2) to promote the discovery of mathematical concepts by students through hands-on computer laboratory experiments and to reinforce basic concepts through courseware, and (3) to assign individualized projects to each student in the student's major field in order to enhance the symbiotic relationship between mathematics and its applications. The initial focus of this effort will be in courses in numerical analysis and linear algebra, with more advanced courses to be affected later.
