[kde-edu]: An idea for a new application.

[Miguel Marco]

>
> Jo napot, Kalló, and welcome to the list.
>
> I think I saw something similair done with WIMS, a math content server.
> But as for native programmes, I don't remember any.
>
> As I get you (and Miguel), this could be a central use case:
>
> The user (student) is presented a randomly created equation like:
>
> 	3x + 4 = 5x
>
> Now he has to subtract 3x on both sides. Miguel's idea was to "drag"
> the "3x" term from left to right, switching its sign:
>
>             + 4 = 5x ^
>              ..[3x]../
>
> I am a bit critical with this: You can't "move" terms, but what you do
> is identical operations on both sides. I prefer a balance model, here.
>
> But in general, I like to support this idea.
>
> Kind regards
> Viszontlatasra.
> Ralf
Well, my original idea was to be able to configure the "expertise level". In 
such a way that, at the beginning, you should actually do operations on both 
sides of the expression, and perforn simplifications by yourself (maybe by 
selecting both terms and pushing a "simplify" button or something like that). 
At a next level (when the student has shown enough understanding of the 
previous process), automatic simplifications could be enabled. And when the 
student has shown again enough understanding, drag and drop could be enabled 
(understanding that it is just a shortcut for the "operation at both sides" 
and "simplification" actions, and hence i think that an animation showing 
both steps would be interesting).

I have found another program that does something, similar: MathDragn (its 
website is http://mathdragn.squarespace.com/) , but it is still unfinished, 
and hence it doesn't work as well as expected. It uses Mathematica or Maxima 
to make the symbollic computations. I think it could be a good idea to look 
at it as a starting point to work from.


Sincerelly:

Miguel Angel Marco Buzunariz.
Departamento de Matemáticas.
Universidad de Zaragoza.