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S. Winkler, A. Körner, V. Urbonaite:
"Maple T.A. in Engineering Educations";
Vortrag: MATHMOD 2012 - 7th Vienna Conference on Mathematical Modelling, Wien; 14.02.2012 - 17.02.2012; in: "Preprints Mathmod 2012 Vienna - Full Paper Volume", F. Breitenecker, I. Troch (Hrg.); Argesim / Asim, 38 (2012), S. 258 - 259.

Introduction. The department for modelling and simulation of the Institute for Analysis and Scientific Computing
deals with education in mathematics and modelling. There are many lectures and exercises held by this
department. Most of these lectures are supported by an e-learning system. In some of these lectures an e-learning
system called MMT, Mathematics Modelling and Tools, is used. Courses where the students have the possibility
to learn with the MMT system focus on modelling and simulation.
Lectures containing basic and advanced mathematics are supported by an e-learning system called Maple T.A..
Maple T.A. stands for Maple Testing and Assessment. This system makes an easy creation of tests possible. In
addition the automatic grading allows the tutors to concentrate on the compilation of examples and enables the
lecturers to offer extra oral exams.
Maple T.A. Maple T.A. is based on Maple, a computer algebra system. Maple supports analytic and algebraic
calculations. The programming language Maple is often used by the students of the Vienna University of Technology
which was one reason for using this e-learning system. This Software focuses on the creation of examples and
the arrangement of tests.
Maple T.A. offers its own programming commands for the coding but it is not necessary to know the commands
of Maple T.A., because it is possible to programme with devices from Maple. On the other hand it is helpful to
know some of the short devices of Maple T.A., because using the commands of Maple leads to a call of Maple, so
it needs more capacity.
Concerning the examples a great advantage of Maple T.A. is the one-time creation of the examples. Because of
the randomised variables, every time the example is opened the numbers are changed. The designers of the Maple
T.A. examples developed an additional library. This library supports the creation of randomised vectors, matrices
and eigenvalues. For instance, for the examples of differential calculus one single question rotates between
the trigonometric, exponential and logarithmic functions. The new library not only includes commands for the
creation of examples but also supports the higher level of grading.
Courses. The aim of the modelling and simulation department of the Institute for Analysis and Scientific Computing
by inventing the refresher course of mathematics is to ease the entrance to university for students. It starts
before the normal daily routine of lectures and exercises begins and supports the students by reminding them of
their mathematical skills and knowledge they had at school.
The modelling and simulation department is responsible not only for the refresher course of mathematics but
also for basic mathematical courses. These courses are held for students of electrical engineering. Mathematics
1 and 2 are scheduled in the first and second semester of the study. Both courses consist of lecture and exercises.
During the semester there are three tests in Maple T.A. of which each takes 30 minutes and consists of four examples.
A necessary condition to pass the course is to get two of the three tests positive.
The third semester of the students of electrical engineering contains an advanced mathematical course, called
Mathematics 3. Since this year the lecture is supported by Maple T.A. as well. An advantage of using Maple T.A.
for e-learning is that the students are used to this tool. There is no time loss due to learning new commands or
getting used to the new interface.
Summary. Apart from being a tool for teaching basic mathematics in lectures offered by the Institute for Analysis
and Scientific Computing for students of electrical engineering the Maple T.A. system has become important to
enable automatical grading of exams to support the lecturers. All in all Maple T.A. is used since 2008. In the
last four years the examples and their grading were improved to embrace the requirements of students, tutors and
lecturers. The routine in creating examples had saved time which we could spend to update the version of Maple
T.A. and to equip the old questions with the new commands. Despite of some problems at the beginning the use of
Maple T.A. it is now appreciated by students and lecturers.