Internet Technology in Mathematics Publishing

Technology Influences |

Virtues of Online Instruction |

Possible Models |

Examples |

Technology Influences

Mosaic/World Wide Web

These new protocol and display technologies have a short learning curve for students and instructors (and publishers). These easy and nearly ubiquitous technologies make publishing electronically more attractive and accessible.

Forms

Easily implemented way to get feedback, have interaction (testing, comments, etc.) If you've never seen a form, try one now. These are HTML pages that send their contents off to computer scripts run by the Web server (not on your browsing machine).

Scripts

Using the output of forms or just sending output to a downloaded page, scripts on a Web server can spit back results based on the contents of a form, thank you for your submission, or give you access to another page. They can also do mathematically/pedagogically useful functions: searching, calculation, testing are all possibilities.

Java

On-demand custom applications limited only by the imagination. The Geometry Center is writing some java applications to allow rotation of figures, and mathematical typesetting and calculation through a web page.

<MATH> HTML markup tags

No, really, this is supposed to happen soon. The Arena Browser already reads some of the Math Markup (UNIX only) but the preliminary specification already exists for these tags. We're just waiting for the commercial browser companies to catch on to this, particularly Netscape Communications. You should send them mail requesting this feature.

Hardware Advances

Faster processing, more net connectivity, infrared access, color monitors, and CD-Rom make technology viable for teaching. New hard/software options may also lead to reduced cost per student of technology instruction through the use of the server/client setup implied by Web technology.

This Model and diagram courtesy of Dr. Charles Patton, Hewlett Packard Inc.

Tie education to the rising productivity enabled by technology. Pull down the entry cost per seat by an order of magnitude by using local (dumb) renderers, and keeping the computing power in a single station, i.e. sharing compute cycles.

Technology Influences |

Virtues of Online Instruction |

Possible Models |

Examples |

Virtues of Internet Instruction/Publishing

Many types of tools on demand

Computer manipulatives, computer algebra systems, movies, sounds, etc. can be incorporated as viewers or helper applications in Mosaic. Mosaic will let you hyperlink to ANYTHING, and launch the appropriate application to run the linked file. Netscape even incorporates "plug-ins" to let you play files inside the same window, like Quicktime and Director movies.

Instructor's Perspective/Customization

Seamless, and simple, incorporation of an instructor's own perspective and materials into a published product if desired (on-the-fly custom publishing). The simplicity of HTML coding also means that authors can easily take an active role in creating the final electronic product, which is often part of the expense and overwhelming production burden that makes publishers shy away from this sort of publishing.

Real world data

Access through the 'net to "real world" datasets and "power tools" will lend an active learning aspect to any course, and show the utility of the material. It's like having an infinite case study laboratory.

Collaboration

Student-student/student-instructor collaboration through shared physical or virtual workspaces.

Self-remediation

The hypertext environment lets the student see the connectivity of the course material, and helps them to help themselves.

This Model and diagram courtesy of Dr. Charles Patton, Hewlett Packard Inc.

Hypertext lets a student self-remediate by following related links, reminding them of forgotten or missing material in their backgrounds. Hypertext lets students explore subjects which are beyond the scope of the typical course. The trick to writing a hypertext is to evert the material, starting with where you'd like to go, and letting the reader decide how much background they need or want.

Technology Influences |

Virtues of Online Instruction |

Possible Models |

Examples |

Possible Publishing Models

Technology Influences |

Virtues of Online Instruction |

Possible Models |

Examples |

Examples

Another good example of an everted text can be found at Northwestern University.