Walter Spunde Department of Mathematics & Computing U.S.Q.
Research Publications Teaching   Professional Personal
.
Teaching Interests
Semester 1 (2008) Timetable
Teaching Experience
 .
    Teaching Interests:
     
  • The effective use of computing power to provide an extensive background of concrete experiences on which students may build intuitive understandings of mathematical concepts.

    •  
  • The development of an interactive and open computer environment for mathematics learning.
Early attempts to introduce computing power
to first year classes at USQ in the mid-'70s were hampered by the crippling interfaces of Fortran and other languages. Micro-computer interfaces began changing this in the '80's but were too expensive for students to use. The international APL community brought out a free interpreter in 1988 and things began to improve. Graphing software, originally written in IAPL by WS, was still in use in the late '90s modifiied to run in state-of-the-art APL provided through an STSC software grant of a $100,000 to USQ that provided students with free access to APL*PLUS.  Subsequent CAUT and OLAA grants have made it possible to develop courses that build intuition in mathematics through numerical experiences. Software developed under these grants by Peter deVoil  (who was a student in the first experimental class) forms the basis for courses which will deliver interactive material over the web. The 1993 CAUT Grant supported among others, second year student Debbie McEwan (subsequently a prize-winning graduate in Business) as a tutor with the experimental class, pictured at left above with (then) first year student Ivan Hills  (now with the Department of Natural Resources in Brisbane)
Research Publications Teaching  Professional Personal
.
Teaching Interests
Semester 1 (2008) Timetable
Teaching Experience
 .

[Page]Top

March, 2008