9451360 Hoft The University of Michigan at Dearborn in cooperation with Eastern Michigan University and Siena Heights is developing an upper level interactive and interdisciplinary laboratory course for mathematics and computer science which channels some of the recent technological advances in communications and computations into the undergraduate mathematics curriculum. At the center of the course is the interplay between mathematics and computer science and its effect on computational mathematics. A computer algebra system is used interactively for all teaching and learning activities in the classroom and the laboratory. This helps students to integrate ideas, concepts, and applications from both fields in a natural and transparent way. The teaching model of the course is based on interactive learning materials, locating the laboratory wherever a student and a computer running the software interact, and on the extensive use of electronic communication between students and faculty, distributing the laboratory through access to the Internet. The course content is designed for the junior/senior level of the mathematics and computer science curricula, and it builds on topics and concepts in the sophomore level core of both fields. The course fits into a curriculum on mathematics, computational mathematics and computer science with minor changes in emphasis only. The course is particularly well suited for academic institutions where mathematics and computer science are programs in a single department. The materials for the course, including a teacher's manual and a collection of student projects, are being printed and electronic form.
