Re: Promath

[Robert Hopcroft <hopcroft@uswest.net>]

Odile wrote:
> so for a couple of weeks I've been thinking, and beginning some early
> developement, in python

> why python ?
> - because it is a very nice language, very clear
> - because it is object-oriented, should be better for maintaining and
> further developing
> and also, very important :
> - because I plan both an Intranet use and a web use for the
application,
> and when you speak of web use you need to think about what the client
> side will be able to understand; I would like part of the machinery to

> run on the client, if it wouldn't be so, especially for web use the
> quizz machine will be too slow; finally python is able to generate
java
> bytecode and any browser will understand java bytecode

> yet I am still worried with math printing on the screen : I find
nothing
> really satisfactory...

> so : these days I'm learning to generate simple web pages with python

> if anybody wants to try, please tell me
> if anybody has any help about math printing, please do
> and I'm open to suggestions about general conception and choices, as
far
> as I don't have to spend the rest of my life answering to them...

First I want to mention that I have started work on developing some math
quiz material but that's for another post. However it did raise a
question and I want to make sure I'm getting things right. The student
will see a question to be answered or explored. The question is not
restricted to text only, but could involve a sketch of a geometric
figure. This raises the issue of displaying the geometric figure with
labels etc. In some cases, it would be very helpful for the student to
be able to rotate the figure, especially for 3D objects.
Ok, it sounds to me like the student will start out seeing a web page.
Forgive me if I'm dense, but what's stopping the student from turning
off the teacher and going and doing what the student feels like? Is the
student using an X-terminal or a computer acting as an X-terminal? If so
where do web pages come in? If web pages, does the student get them by
using a web browser and URL's. If so what's stopping the student from
picking any URL the student feels like? I guess what I'm really trying
to get at, does the teacher have absolute control or does it depend on
the benevolence of the students. I guess I'm thinking in terms of some
of the US schools where they don't even try to teach just keep order. A
successful school year is when nobody gets killed. Anyway getting back
to the web page on the students computer. Can the student interact with
the web page by being able to rotate an object or only obtain a new web
page from the teacher. Anyway, Odile would it be useful if I acted as
the secretary and kept notes as to where discussions are at. Now that I
have learned how to get text onto a web page, I could put something
together from the discussions and you could link to it or copy it over
to your web page or whatever you would like.. I just noticed that the
"return" at the very bottom of the Promath web page is a broken link.

Bob