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U N I V E R S I T Y O F P I T T S B U R G H |
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A newsletter devoted to the support of teaching and learning at the University of Pittsburgh |
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U N I V E R S I T Y O F P I T T S B U R G H |
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A newsletter devoted to the support of teaching and learning at the University of Pittsburgh |
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A Virtual Laboratory for Engineering and Math
With their ACIE grant, Luis F. Chaparro, Electrical Engineering, and Juan J. Manfredi, Mathematics, will create A Virtual Laboratory for Engineering and Mathematics. This project continues an intellectual and pedagogical collaboration between Manfredi and Chaparro that has resulted in shared resources and benefits across their two academic disciplines. The virtual lab will consist of interdisciplinary, multimedia-instructional modules integrating graduate- and undergraduate-level work on topics pertinent to both Manfredi’s Linear Algebra and Chaparro’s Signal Processing courses. Although the courses and areas of study reflect different disciplines, they share common theoretical foundations and instructional strategies such as visually representing theoretical concepts and graphically demonstrating practical application of difficult concepts or mathematical operations. The infrastructure of the project was successfully completed in a previous project with the development and online delivery of videotaped lectures and demonstrations for Linear Algebra and Signal Processing. At the end of the pilot term students were surveyed for use patterns and the benefits derived. At the same time, a tutorial was developed to provide self-instruction on the use of Matlab, the software recognized as the standard for technical computing that is so vital in mathematics and science. Both the tutorial and the videos are available on a dedicated server to students across both disciplines, to teaching assistants, and to faculty wishing to learn to use Matlab. The virtual lab modules are designed not as a substitute for classroom instruction but rather are intended to serve as a supplement to it. As Manfredi and Chaparro note, their “classroom lectures are presented differently than videotaped lectures to offer students two versions of instruction with different flavors of the same material,” enhancing the probability of students’ successful mastery of the topic. With technological advancements, ongoing adaptations and modifications, and general access to Internet2’s increased bandwidth capabilities, Chaparro and Manfredi expect the virtual lab to become increasingly rich and valuable as a learning resource for students across their disciplines and as a distributed teaching and research collaboration system for faculty. The online modules will provide expanded opportunities for students to access interdisciplinary demonstrations, explanations, clarifications, graphical displays, practice exercises, and feedback on an as-needed, anytime, anywhere basis. They can use the resource to study for exams, catch up on missed lectures, or to clarify complex concepts introduced in the classroom, thereby enhancing and reinforcing the learning accomplished face-to-face. Manfredi and Chaparro emphasize the belief that small, interactive, face-to-face classrooms provide the optimal learning environment. They wish to “keep the essence of the teaching process the same.” However, they also recognize the reality of the limitations of larger classes and limited time. It is these limitations their project will address by providing students with complementary learning resources outside the classroom. Additionally, the project will provide faculty with a research forum through which they can tailor their instruction to better meet the needs of their students.
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A newsletter devoted to the support of teaching and learning at the University of Pittsburgh |
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