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.
