Considerations when adopting Mathematical software into Undergraduate courses

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Considerations when adoptingMathematical
software intoUndergraduate courses

• Colin Campbell
• University of Waterloo
• and
• TechnicalMastery.com

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Outline

• Adoption Considerations
• Typical Adoption Pattern
• Somewhat atypical Waterloo
• Comparison
• Maple and MATLAB
• Maple and Mathcad
• MATLAB and Mathcad
• Case Study
• Circuit Simulation

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The Non-Use of Computers in Engineering Science
Courses

• "Across the country, computers are usually not
  used effectively in undergraduate ... courses.
  Often, they are not used at all.
• Problem-solving approaches and calculation
  methods are little influenced by ...
  computers.
• http//www.asee.org/jee/papers/00220.PDF

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AdoptionConsiderations
Tend to favour

• Over-whelming functionality? Maple MATLAB
• Used in profs research? Maple MATLAB
• Big investment already in program? Maple MATLAB
• Text book include exercises? Maple MATLAB
• Easy to mark? Excel, C
• Industry dominance? MATLAB
  Excel
• Students know already? Excel
• Might improve course evaluations? Mathcad
• Favourable student licensing terms? Mathcad
• Productive and interactive? Mathcad

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Typical Adoption Pattern
T
MATLAB Lin Alg
Num Meth Controls SIMULINK
Eng/Sci Mathcad Lin Alg Calc 1-4 Diff Eqs Num
Meth Controls VISSIM
Eng/Sci Maple Calc 1-4 Diff Eqs
Eng/Sci
Excel Lin Alg

Eng/Sci C,
VB Num Meth
Eng/Sci
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Waterloos Adoption Pattern (atypical)
W

• MATLAB Lin Alg Num Meth Controls
  SIMULINK Eng/Sci
• Mathcad Lin Alg Calc 3 Diff Eqs Num Meth
  Controls VISSIM Eng/Sci
• Maple Calc 3 Diff Eqs
  Eng/Sci
• Excel Lin Alg
  
  Eng/Sci
• C, VB Num Meth Eng/Sci

Note ? in Calculus 1, 2, 4
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Who ya gonna call?
Maple
Mathcad
MATLAB
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Who ya gonna call?
Maple
Mathcad
MATLAB
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Who ya gonna call?
Maple
C Fortran
Mathcad
MATLAB
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Who ya gonna call?
Maple
Excel
C Fortran
Mathcad
MATLAB
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Compare Maple and MATLAB

• Maple has better
• User interface worksheet vs. command-line
• Selection of mathematical functions
• Symbolics usability
• GUI development Maplets vs. GUIDE
• Animation higher level .?. easier
• MATLAB has better
• Language for data operations
• Graphics control and appearance
• Selection of add-on toolboxes (e.g. Controls)

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Compare Maple and Mathcad

• Maple has better
• Selection of mathematical functions
• Symbolics, esp. for Diff Eqs
• Graphics implicitplot3d
• Animation one-step vs. several
• Mathcad has better
• User interface mathematical, immediate
• GUI controls more accessible, e.g. slider
• Data import/export (e.g. Excel, databases)

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Compare MATLAB and Mathcad

• MATLAB has better
• Graphics appearance
• Automation abilities
• Selection of add-on toolboxes (e.g. Controls)
• Mathcad has better
• User interface mathematical, immediate
• GUI controls more accessible, e.g. slider
• Symbolics usability

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Case Study Simulate Circuit
Overall look and feel

• Maple
• Mathcad
• MATLAB

Mathematics Programming
Mathematics
Programming
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