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A MathML Based Resource to Support a Course of Pre-Teacher Training in Chemistry. Paul Yates Keele University United Kingdom. Introduction. The Mathematics Problem Chemistry Enhancement Course Pre-teacher training Varied student backgrounds Students off campus Web based resource.
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A MathML Based Resource to Support a Course of Pre-Teacher Training in Chemistry Paul Yates Keele University United Kingdom
Introduction • The Mathematics Problem • Chemistry Enhancement Course • Pre-teacher training • Varied student backgrounds • Students off campus • Web based resource
Equations as images Large file size Long download No text integration No mathematical meaning PDF Viewer to install and launch No integration with HTML Limited copy and paste MathML versus Other Methods
Accessibility Issues • Equations in Braille • Aural rendering • Recent legislation • Explicit operators such as ⁢ • Pedagogic advantages
Authoring Methodology • Amaya browser • Direct authoring in text editor • 2 hours per page of output
Alternative representations “The variables are x and y.” • <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mtext>The variables are  </mtext> <mi>x</mi><mtext>  and  </mtext> <mi>y</mi><mtext>.</mtext> </math> • <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mi>x</mi></math> and <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mi>y</mi></math>.
Browser and Plugins • Different representation of spaces in Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer • Use Internet Explorer 6.0 with MathPlayer plugin • Additional effort needed to produce pages for multiple browsers
On and Off Campus Access • Instructions provided for off campus access • Need to install Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1 for Windows 98 • On campus computer laboratory PCs set up with correct configuration
Student Reaction and Feedback • Training session • Informal feedback • Questionnaire
Questionnaire Results • Responses from 18 students • 14 had accessed both homepage and lecture notes • 9 had accessed material off campus • 6 had found the instructions very straightforward, 6 would have welcomed more detail, 2 struggled but got there in the end and 2 had given up
14 felt that the website was a useful resource as it stands, and the same number felt it would be worth developing further • One student noted that although material was displayed correctly it didn’t print correctly
Further Work • Browser compatibility • Include more chemistry
Displaying Physical Quantities • k = 4.2 x 10-4 s-1 • <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mi>k</mi><mo>=</mo><mn>4.2</mn><mo>×</mo> <msup><mn>10</mn><mn>-4</mn></msup> <msup><mtext>s</mtext><mn>-1</mn></msup> </math> • Unit s represented as <mtext> • Significance lost
Conclusions • Students found web site to be of value • Problems accessing and printing mathematical information persist in some cases • Problems may become less acute as software develops