| Maple’s Point and Click Environment
shortens learning curve and lets you be more productive
When Maplesoft® introduced its smart
document environment in Maple™ 10 - now enhanced in
the recently announced Maple 11 - the new interface presented
a paradigm shift in performing complex mathematical calculations.
The company knew that the point and click environment would
transform the way engineers, students, and researchers approached
and used math.
Dr. Nick Zorka of Lawrence Tech University experienced this
transformation. “When students discovered this new
environment in Maple, it felt like a fresh new technique
for learning math”, he recalls. “No more the
long learning cycles and having to memorize numerous syntax
and commands. With the click of a mouse, Maple would present
the solution in the simplest way.” Dr. Zorka is a
guest faculty at the Lawrence Tech University where he teaches
Advanced Computer Application courses to junior and senior
engineering students.
Maple is intuitive and easy to use, while providing the
most advanced, complete, and error-free set of mathematical
capabilities available. One of its most significant features
is that it is syntax free. This means that students need
not invest the time and effort required to learn a new set
of software tool commands. Maple offers a palette from which
users can point and click to the math
component they want to use. This also enables them to enter
expressions very easily, thus allowing them to start using
mathematical equations instantly.
The context-sensitive menu in Maple is a very popular feature.
For every equation or mathematical expression, Maple will
present to the user, from its more than 4000 commands, only
those that make sense for that particular expression. This
is a wonderful way for students to work with their equations
quickly and easily. It also lets them effortlessly explore
various components of that expression.
Dr. Zorka discovered that these features of Maple had an
enormous impact on his students.
“My students found it overwhelming and very time consuming
to learn different software tools as part of their course”,
said Dr. Zorka. “Maple made a lot of difference to
their approach to learning. It is easy to use and you can
even write down equations with the mouse, similar to writing
with a pen or pencil. You can access various expressions
from the palette just by the click of a mouse – I
can’t imagine it getting any simpler! The context-sensitive
menu is amazing; students learn a lot more by just experimenting
with the various possibilities that Maple presents for each
equation. For students who have their days cramped with
course work, this came as a miracle. Many of them even started
enjoying this tool which, till then, looked cumbersome and
difficult.”
“One graduate student in my Advanced Digital Control
course used MATLAB for his control problems. When he realized
he had to learn Maple, he came to me frustrated and said,
‘I hate learning these tools, they are never easy.’
I then introduced him to Maple and it completely changed
this student’s perception. He is now very enthusiastic
and tells me, ‘the pain is gone now; this is a really
cool product!”
Other well received features of Maple include enhanced graphics
that help students visualize difficult math concepts and
a built-in math education editor that integrates live math
text into documents. For more information on Maple, please
visit: http://www.maplesoft.com/products/maple/
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