A central component of science practice is the building of models, particularly the development of an interconnected series of idealised models that abstract away from real-world situations (such as a car on a slope) to arrive at a component-based understanding, usually captured using equations. This process is not well captured well by the current curriculum, as the components of this process (geometry, algebra, graphs, probability etc.) are introduced in a piecemeal fashion, and are spread across many textbooks. In curret work in this domain, we are developing an interactive system that integrates these components.
In related work, we have also developed theoretical models of how the process of building computational models lead to discovery. Extending these models, an interactive system was developed, where ODE models could be built and run using just touch interaction, allowing novice modelers to work with experts in systems biology.
Significant Publications
- Beyond Telling: Where New Computational Media is Taking Model-Based Reasoning pdf
- Interactive vectors for model-based reasoning pdf
- Geometry-via- Gestures: Design of a gesture based application to teach 3D Geometry pdf
- Active pathways: Using active tangibles and interactive tabletops for collaborative modeling in systems biology pdf