Mathematics

Equation Construction and Display

There are a variety of tools that are available for the purpose of constructing equations, providing text expressions that can be converted to equations, and displaying equations.

The most common text expression syntax is LaTeX or a derivative with probably the most common form of display being a conversion of the equation to an image file. However, is demonstrated with ASCIIMathML simple text expressions can now be be converted to MathML on the fly.

Some tools for creating and displaying equations on-line that may be of interest to those teaching mathematics are:

• ASCIIMathML, which both converts equations into MathML on the fly and provides a text expression syntax more easily mastered than Tex, though the filter will convert TeX expressions as well. The ASCIIMathML 2.0.2 zip provides all the files necessary for setting ASCIIMathML up as a Moodle filter as well creating run-time graphs with ASCIIsvg. An on-line calculator is also included. Just recently an ASCIIMathML export format for DragMath was added to version 0.7.2, available here, so that you have access to both a GUI and text expression syntax for creating and displaying equations. Quick and GIFless. ASciencePad is also available and consists of htmlarea enhanced with the ASCIIMathML functionality.
• Tim Hunt's Moodle MathTran Module converts Tex into images on the fly. You can also use mathtran_img.js on a page by page basis.
• The TeX filter, which allows TeX markup to be inserted anywhere (e.g. quiz questions, discussion messages, text resources)
• The JsMath filter, which does a similar job but using Javascript on the user's computer
• Calculated question type
• DragMath equation editor, a WYSIWYG equation editor that integrates easily with the Moodle HTML editor.

Mathematics teachers may also be interested to follow the work of York University Maths department, who are working on some projects to augment Moodle, particularly its Quiz module for online assessment, for example by integrating a system which is able to mark algebraic and trigonometric answers to open-ended questions.

Java Tools for Building Applets for Interactive Demonstration

These tools can be integrated in or used with Moodle Resources

• Java Sketchpad, http://www.dynamicgeometry.com/JavaSketchpad/About_JavaSketchpad.html, is an applet developed by Key Curriculum Press. The applet has been the focus of quite a bit of discussion and demonstrations and discussions are widely available. An introductory article from the Journal of Online Mathematics can be found here: http://mathdl.maa.org/mathDL/4/?nodeId=508&pa=content&sa=viewDocument. Usage focuses largely on Geometry
• CabriJava, http://www-cabri.imag.fr/cabrijava/, an applet offered by the University of Cabri, also focuses on interactive geometry. Quite a number of examples employing CabriJava can be found here: http://www.mathsnet.net/cabri/index.html.
• Descartes, http://descartes.cnice.mec.es/, is an applet developed under the auspices of the Spanish Ministerio de Educacion Politica Social y Diporte. An English introduction can be found here at http://w3.cnice.mec.es/Descartes/Ingles/index.html. The Ministery has produced an extensive Mathematics curriculum using Descartes, which is available in English and can be freely downloaded and used. Much of what is available is still only in Spanish so anyone interested in doing translation work please post to the Moodle Math Tools forum.

Additional Curricular Use of Applets

• Euclid's Elements - http://aleph0.clarku.edu/~djoyce/java/elements/elements.html
• Tutorials employing applets (applets can be downloaded and used in Moodle) http://www.analyzemath.com/

Applet Tools

• Graphing - http://www.langara.bc.ca/mathstats/resource/GraphExplorer/
• Geometry Construction - http://www.cs.rice.edu/~jwarren/grace/

Java Applet Collections

• http://cs.jsu.edu/mcis/faculty/leathrum/Mathlets/
• http://www.walter-fendt.de/m14e/

• Probability and Statistics
  • http://www.mste.uiuc.edu/pavel/java/dilemma/
  • http://lstat.kuleuven.be/java/
  • http://www.math.csusb.edu/faculty/stanton/m262/

• http://www.mste.uiuc.edu/murphy/JavaOverview/default.html
• Math and Physics - http://www.falstad.com/mathphysics.html
• Curves - http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Java/index.html
• Chaos and Fractals - http://math.bu.edu/DYSYS/applets/index.html
• For sale, but extensive - http://www.cut-the-knot.org/Curriculum/index.shtml

See also

Using Moodle forum discussions:

• Best practices for teaching Math(s) in Moodle
• How do you deal with the challenge of writing equations?
• How do you deal with the challenge of drawing graphs and diagrams?
• How do you deal with the challenge of interactive exercises and simulations?
• How can I have a student enter a fraction as an answer?