The Möbius Project makes it easy to create rich, interactive mathematical applications, and then share and grade them to assess understanding
The Möbius Project opens up exciting new possibilities, especially in terms of instant access to intuitive math tools and innovative assessment methods. For educators, it’s a whole new world.
Waterloo, Canada (PRWEB) September 05, 2013
Maplesoft™, a leader in software products for technical education and research, announced the next phase of The Möbius Project, a major initiative to support teaching and learning. The Möbius Project from Maplesoft makes it easy to create rich, interactive mathematical applications, share them with anyone, and grade them to assess understanding. After a four-month pilot program, The Möbius Project is now available to the public.
The goal of The Möbius Project is to provide innovative new tools to engage students with powerful visual aids, deepen their comprehension of mathematical concepts both in the classroom and during independent learning, and revolutionize assessment by providing a whole new way for instructors to measure and increase students’ understanding. During the pilot phase, hundreds of educators joined in to explore the possibilities of this modern approach to learning and assessment. Möbius Apps created during the pilot phase covered a wide variety of topics, including integration with Riemann sums, quadratic surfaces, and analysis of loaded beams.
The Möbius Project is supported by many Maplesoft technologies. Maple, the foundational mathematical software product, is used as the authoring environment for creating interactive math applications. Maple T.A. 9.5, the newest release of the online testing and assessment system, contains innovative new technology that enables it to automatically grade the students’ use of the math applications as part of a test or assignment. In addition, MapleNet provides the mathematical power to The Möbius Project web site, where these math apps can be accessed by anyone using only a web browser. Users can also run the applications directly on their own computer by using Maple or the free Maple Player.
“Many educators embraced the benefits that technology can bring to the math classroom years ago,” says Dr. Laurent Bernardin, Executive Vice President, R&D, Maplesoft. “But as technology evolves, so do the benefits we can get from it. The Möbius Project opens up exciting new possibilities, especially in terms of instant access to intuitive math tools and innovative assessment methods. For educators, it’s a whole new world.”
Many aspects of The Möbius Project are pushing the boundaries of technology. Maplesoft will continue its research and make the results available to customers over time. To allow customers to try out cutting-edge technology as soon as it becomes available, Möbius App questions are included in Maple T.A. as a technology preview, so customers can start getting familiar with this feature and begin developing content for students. Maplesoft offers special services and support to assist instructors in creating, testing, and deploying Math Apps.
More information about The Möbius Project, including on-line access to interactive math applications, can be found at http://www.möbius-project.com. More information about Maple T.A. 9.5 and MapleNet 17 can be found at http://www.maplesoft.com.
About Maplesoft
Maplesoft™, a subsidiary of Cybernet Systems Co., Ltd. in Japan, has over 20 years of experience developing products for technical education and research, offering a solution that applies to every aspect of academic life. Its product suite reflects the philosophy that given great tools, people can do great things.
Maplesoft’s core technology is the world’s most advanced symbolic computation engine, which is the foundation for all of its products, including Maple™, the technical computing and documentation environment; MapleSim™, the high-performance, multi-domain modeling and simulation tool for physical systems; and Maple T.A.™, a web-based system for creating and assessing online tests and assignments.
Maplesoft also introduced a fundamental shift in technical education through its Clickable Math™ and Clickable Engineering™ initiatives. The idea behind this shift is to create technology that will allow students and teachers to focus on the concepts, not the tool. These initiatives deliver powerful mathematics through visual, interactive point-and-click methods in Maple, while the intuitive physical modeling environment of MapleSim helps teachers to quickly demonstrate the connection between modeling concepts and the underlying mathematical theory.
Over 90% of advanced research institutions and universities worldwide, including MIT, Stanford, Oxford, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the U.S. Department of Energy, have adopted Maplesoft solutions to enhance their education and research activities. In industry Maplesoft’s customers include Ford, Toyota, NASA, Canadian Space Agency, Motorola, and DreamWorks, covering sectors such as automotive, aerospace, electronics, defense, consumer products, and entertainment.
Visit http://www.maplesoft.com to learn more.
About Cybernet Systems Co., Ltd.
Cybernet Systems in Japan provides world-class solutions and services in the CAE and IT areas. For more information, visit http://www.cybernet.co.jp/english/.