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S. Winkler, V. Urbonaite, A. Körner:
"MTA in Mathematics and Simulation";
Talk: MATHMOD 2012 - 7th Vienna Conference on Mathematical Modelling, Wien; 02-14-2012 - 02-17-2012; in: "Preprints Mathmod 2012 Vienna - Full Paper Volume", F. Breitenecker, I. Troch (ed.); Argesim / Asim, 38 (2012), 412 - 413.

Introduction. In modelling and simulation there are many different programming languages used. The MMath-
EL group especially one part of the working group of simulation focuses on e-learning. The courses of this working
group are based on the computer languages Maple and Matlab. These courses simplify the access to simulation
tools for the students and additionally teach them mathematical basics in an easy way. Some of the students are not
used to code so it is important to introduce the students slowly to these programming languages. This contribution
focuses on the e-learning system Maple T.A..
Maple T.A. Maple T.A. stands for Maple Testing Assessment and is based on Maple. There is a separate syntax
for the Maple T.A. for creating examples but it is also possible to use the common Maple commands. Therefore
one can create every kind of plot or algorithm which can be implemented in Maple. Additionally the user interface
offers different kind of questions, for instance multiple choice, question with input window or graphical output.
On the other hand the system supports the creating of testing assignments and the administration of users and their
test results.
Another advantage of this system is the possibility to create a kind of example which can be practiced several times
without getting exactly the same question. Due to this the students who sit aside at the test are not able to copy the
results from their neighbour.
Motivation
. Refresher Course The students of Vienna University of Technology graduated from different schools, for
example polytechnic, ordinary highschool oder highschools with other key aspects. So they all have different
mathematical levels. The MMath-EL group offers a refresher course for mathematics for every student of
Vienna University of Technology. With attending this course it is no longer important which school the
student graduated. This course takes one to two weeks. There are lectures and tutorials to every mathematical
topic which should be tought at school.
The refresher course for mathematic is supported by the e-learning system Maple T.A.. So the students have
the chance to hear the lectures, participate the tutorials and exercise at home.
. Mathematic Course The MMath-EL group organises all parts of the lecture mathematics for the students of
electrical engineering. These courses consist of a lecture and a tutorial supported by the e-learning system
Maple T.A.. There the students can exercise the examples fitting to the lecture and the tutorial. Also two of
three tests on this system have to be passed.
The students have to deal with the demanded syntax for this system because this course is mandatory. For
some students it is the first contact with coding. The advantage of using Maple T.A. is that the students
have to learn some syntax which is necessary and basically for every kind of programming and further for
modelling and simulation.
. Modelling and Simulation Course The students of electrical engineering have to deal with the Maple T.A.
system and its syntax for the first three semesters. Due to this fact it is not amazing that the MMath-EL
group offers also easy modelling examples in this system. The students can use their aquired knowledge of
coding from the mathematics course and advance it.
The examples help the students of electrical engineering to understand small and easy models. The model
discription contains a picture of the block diagram belonging to the example. The students have to calculate
for answering the question therefore they have to think about the block diagram and its meaning.