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List:       kde-edu
Subject:    [kde-edu]: Ideas for a MathCenter
From:       Michael Hofer <michaelhofer () gmx ! net>
Date:       2002-08-24 21:19:21
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Hello!

I think the parts/plugin-structure suggested by Eva (in "possible design math 
app" on kde-edu-devel) sounds very interesting and may deliver a flexible way 
to split a comprehensive math-app into overseeable modules (I didn't look at 
the prototype yet).

But, beside the technical details about how to do what we want, we should 
probably define what we want :-)

So, here are my suggestions for a common math-app (KMathCenter?):

1) What should be in it?
-------------------------------
I think a KDE-math-application should be as complete as possible - from the 
first steps (learning numbers)..... to advanced algebra.
Since I am not a math-teacher I do not know exactly which exercises make 
sense, how they should be grouped and how they are called in English. But I 
think there could be a structure like in the following example:

	- Learning (with explanations)
		- Basic Operations
			- Additions
			- Substractions
			- Multiplications
			- Divisions
		- Advanced Operations
			- .....
		- Numbers
			- "Basic" Numbers
			- Decimal Numbers
			- Exponential Numbers
			- Hexadecimal Numbers
				- Convert....
			- Complex Numbers
				- ......
		- Fractions
			- Basics
			- Add Fractions
			- Substract Fractions
			- Shorten Fractions
			- Convert Fraction to Decimal
		- Differential Calculus
			- ........
		- ......
	- Training (similar, but not necessarily identic to the learning-exercises)
		- Numbers
			- ......
		- Basic Operations
			- .....
			- Combined Exercises
		- Individual
			- New Exercise
			- My Saved Exercise #1
		- ...........
	- Games/Playing
		- race against the time
		- ........

Maybe some teachers on this list are able and willing to help here by creating 
a comprehensive structure of exercises and combine them into courses? (see 
"Child-Mode" about courses)

2) How could it look like?
----------------------------------------
Note #1: The UI-Files are only explanation-helps (-> incomplete, ugly,...).
Note #2: In the UI-files provided, the "control part" is in the same window as 
the "application part". Another possibility would be to have a small 
control-window and open the actual math-exercise in a new window. What do you 
think about?

Adult-Mode
http://www.inode.at/mhofer/kmathcenter/adult_ui.ui

- All available modules/exercises are presented in a tree-view and are 
individual startable.
- The "Configure..."-Button configures specific options of the currently 
selected module.
- Additionally there's a global configuration-dialog which allow you to set 
options applying to all modules and to define/configure the possibilities in 
child-mode.
- The "Start"-Button loads the selected module (and it's shell) and shows it 
in the right part of the window (or should it be a separate window?).

Child-Mode
http://www.inode.at/mhofer/kmathcenter/children_ui.ui

- At startup a dialog/wizard asks what you want to do (learning, training, 
playing) and offers courses which combine several learning- and 
training-exercises in a didactic useful way.
- After you have chosen actions/courses the main program window appears. It 
shows only the tasks which belong to the chosen course. It depends on the 
predefined course if the individual tasks can be selected in any/random order 
or if you have to absolve them step by step.
- There's no start-button here because the exercises are represented by 
buttons.
- The "Other exercises..."-button reopens the "startup dialog" which lets you 
select other actions/courses.


3) Additional features
----------------------------
- "school-mode" -> Child-mode without the possibility to choose between 
different courses. Only one predefined/preselected course 
(remote-configurability over network?)
- user profiles -> Saving the status of the exercises, advancements, 
statistics, highscores....
- training exercises should adapt to personal strengths/weaknesses (->user 
profiles)
- user-defineable training exercises
- KFeeder-integration for exercises in child-mode?
- learning-exercises should be visualized with animations (and sounds where 
appropriate)

I am looking forward to hearing your comments, critics and suggestions.

servus,
Michael
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