Modellus
Encyclopedia
Modellus is a freely available software package that enables students and teachers (high school
and college
) to use mathematics
to create or explore models interactively.
Version 4 (Java, multiple platforms) is available since September 2008.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
and college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
) to use mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
to create or explore models interactively.
Version 4 (Java, multiple platforms) is available since September 2008.
Features
- Creating and exploring mathematical models is a fundamental task in many sciences. Modellus can help students experience minds-on learning while creating, simulating, and analyzing mathematical models interactively on the computer.
- To set up a model, you just need to enter conventional mathematical equations and expressions (functions, differential equations and iterations). No programming language or special commands, either visual or written, are needed.
- Constructing an animation of the model is just as easy: choose objects, like images or vectors, and assign properties, like position or size. With an easy-to-use Windows user interface, graphs and tables are also just a mouse-click away.
- Modellus can be used as an exploratory (the user explores models made by others) or as an authoring environment. Furthermore, models or any other window can be hidden and/ or protected.
- Modellus comes with pre-constructed interactive examples that illustrate many scientific concepts. There are also many others available on this website or from curriculum projects.
- Modellus was designed by science education researchers to offer a software package with a sound pedagogical basis. It can help teachers and students become familiar with the mathematics (the language of Nature, according to Galileo!). If you are interested in learning more about the pedagogy under Modellus, you can read a few papers about it.
- Modellus was created by Vitor Duarte Teodoro, with the collaboration of João Paulo Duque Vieira and Filipe Costa Clérigo. It was programmed by João Paulo Duque Vieira and Filipe Costa Clérigo, with contributions by George Birbilis.