The Applied Mathematics and Computer Science Group

• URL
  www.sirmm.unina.it

• Coordinator
  Prof Umberto Giani - University of Naples "Federico II"

• Description
  Applied mathematics is probably the field in which the learning process can be more strongly improved by using interactive teaching and learning environments, because of the interdisciplinarity and interactivity that characterize the application of mathematics to the solution of real world problems. In applied mathematics courses there is the extra complication of developing math models in a range of allied situations, and interpreting results and theoretical features in terms of the physical environment we consider. By using classical resources students are fostered to use many of them, quite heterogeneous as far as languages and concepts concern. In such process, students are constantly referred back to earlier statements, often concerning mathematical concepts taught in previous classes. The resulting learning paths might be quite twisty, confusing, and the student might lose the key point of the overall process, i.e. the capability of the mathematical modeling to abstract out the basic principle of natural systems, to produce realistic scenarios, to explain relationships. Many texts for mathematics in applied sciences are simply cookbooks, which give explanation on how to use math tools in applications, rather than convincing people of how mathematical concepts represent basic prerequisites of thinking in any science. In this context, the advancement of ICT can be of great help also to the development of new teaching models within scientific disciplines, by integrating the basic statistical-mathematical knowledge in a computationally effective way.
  The goal of the project is to provide SIRMM (Searchable Information Repository of Mathematical Models, www.sirmm.unina.it), a new interactive environment for mathematical teaching and learning within scientific disciplines.
  SIRMM enhances scientific education, enlightening on the role of computer modeling in science. It enables the development of training paths that are both interactive and multidisciplinary, in which mathematics, statistics and computer science, available through the software tools, are used to easier the understanding and analysis of scientific problems, building and solving ad hoc models. It can be used at different depth levels and with different paths tailored on students' capabilities. The information granularity behind SIRMM substitutes the traditional structure of knowledge arranged in a rigid form, overcoming knowledge separation and obstacles in multidisciplinary approaches. Users identify and browse the learning objects that characterize the steps of a specific learning path as components which may be reused in the comprehension of other problems. Fine-grained modules are reusable for different courses and disciplines, facing the needs of an educator to teach the desired course and convert a module already developed into another one.

• Founded by
  Ministero dell'Università e delle Ricerca Scientifica e Tecnologica

• initial/final proposal
  2003-2005

• Staff
  Valeria M. MONETTI
  Francesco GIANNINO
  Gerardo TORALDO

• Reserach associated
  Web-based learning tool

• Grant amount
  € 55.000,00

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