The MathWorks Co-sponsors Award Program Recognizing Excellence in Engineering Education Courseware
NATICK, Mass.--Oct. 15, 2001--The MathWorks, Inc., the leading developer and supplier of technical computing software for engineers and scientists, announced today its support for the annual PREMIER AWARD Program, recognizing educators who have achieved excellence in engineering education courseware development. In keeping with its corporate mission to further education in science and engineering, The MathWorks has sponsored the award program through 2003 and applied its expertise in the selection of this year's winning developer of technology-based curriculum delivery tools, Dr. William J. Rugh, J. Schaefer Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. Co-sponsors of the award include John Wiley & Sons and Microsoft Research.
Developed by the Synthesis Coalition, a union of eight institutions striving to design, implement and assess new approaches to undergraduate engineering education, and NEEDS, The National Engineering Education Delivery System, the PREMIER AWARD is granted to an educator each year who has developed cutting-edge engineering courseware - computer-based educational material to assist engineering students in their learning process.
Courseware that qualifies for PREMIER AWARD submission each year is designed for use in lectures, during recitation sections, as self-paced study, as reference material for students, or as exercises for students to perform alone or in a group. Typically, this courseware takes advantage of multiple media, such as graphics, photographic images, sound, video and animation to illustrate engineering concepts, devices or practices.
In a collaborative effort, The MathWorks, John Wiley & Sons, and student and faculty judges from Northern Arizona State, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and Georgia Institute of Technology selected this year's winner, Dr. Rugh for his "Demonstrations in Signals, Systems and Control," based on specific criteria in three main categories: instructional design, software design and engineering content.
"Demonstrations in Signals, Systems and Control" is a set of Web-based modules that supplements instruction through learning both inside and outside the engineering classroom. The Web site contains numerous Java applets covering a wide range of concepts in signals, systems and control. These modules provide audio introductions to topics, interactive exercises and quizzes to assess learning and focus on concepts that are difficult to express, such as convolution, and those that are difficult to present, such as closed loop bandwidth. Interactive simulations serve to heighten understanding and provide meaningful examples. "Demonstrations in Signals, Systems and Control" is easily adaptable for use in classrooms everywhere.
Dr. Rugh was honored at an awards luncheon on Friday, October 12 at the Frontiers in Education (FIE) 2001 conference and presented with a PREMIER AWARD trophy and a cash prize.
"Co-sponsoring the PREMIER AWARD is a great opportunity for The MathWorks to support the creative work being done by the academic community to leverage technology as a teaching tool," said Maureen Maher, Director of Education Marketing, The MathWorks. "We are proud to participate in programs that recognize technical innovations designed to advance education and research in engineering and science."
Additional information about the PREMIER AWARD Program can be obtained at: www.needs.org/engineering/premier/2001/index.html
About The MathWorks
The MathWorks is the world's leading developer and supplier of technical computing software for engineers and scientists in industry, government, and education. With more than 65 products based on MATLAB(R) and Simulink(R), The MathWorks provides high-productivity tools and consulting services to solve challenging problems in automotive, aerospace, telecommunications, process industries, electronics, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, finance, and earth and planetary sciences. The MathWorks was founded in 1984 and employs 1000 people worldwide. For additional information, visit www.mathworks.com.
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