DEVELOPMENT OF PROTOTYPE MATH MODELING CONSTRUCTION SOFTWAREFOR HIGH SCHOOL MATH AND PHYSICAL SCIENCE COURSEWARE

MICROCOSM PROPOSES TO CONSTRACTS PROTOTYPE VERSION OF A SOFTWARE SYSTEM TO WRITE COURSEWARE. A PROTOTYPE MATH MODELING CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM AND MATH MODEL EXECUTION PROGRAM WILL BE DEVELOPED. THIS WORK IS AN EXTENSION OF MICROSOSM R&D ON MATH MODELING SOFTWARE FOR SCIENCE AND ENG INEERING. WITH THIS SYSTEM THE NUMBER OF LINES OF CODE TO BEWRITTEN AND TESTED TO CREATE A FLEXIBLE, STUDENT-FRIENDLY, EASY-TO-USE MATH MODEL SHOULD NORMALLY BE REDUCED BY A A FACTOR OF 10 TO 100. THIS, ALONG WITH OTHER FEATURES, SHOULDREDUCE BY MORE THAN AN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE THE TIME REQUIRED TO DEVELOP HIGH SCHOOL MATH MODELING COURSEWARE. IN ADDITON , THE RESULTING MODELS WILL BE SUBSTANTIALLY MORE POWERFUL THAN MOST EXISTING COURSEWARE. THEY WILL ALLOW EXECUTION OFMULTIPLE MODELS SIMULTANEOUSLY, EITHER FORWARD OR IN REVERSEINTERRUPTING AT ANY POINT TO ALLOW EXAMINATION OF INTER MEDIATE RESULTS, WITH FULLY AUTOMATIC UNITS CONVERSION FOR ALL INPUT AND OUTPUT SO THAT THE PROBLEM CAN BE DONE IN UNITS MOST EASILY UNDERSTOOD BY THE STUDENT. WE BELIEVE THAT THIS SOFTWARE CAN HELP THE STUDENT GAIN FAR MORE PHYSICAL INSIGHT THAN PREVIOUSLY POSSIBLE INTO BOTH THE LAWS OF NATURE AND THE PROCESS OF SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION.