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Rick Downs
Seattle Community College-South Campus
https://people.seattlecolleges.edu/users/richard.downs
I teach math at South Seattle College. The courses I usually teach are: Precalculus, the Calculus series, Linear Algebra, and Differential Equations. I like to use modeling problems in my courses.
Website Content Contributions
Activities (2)
Solving First Order ODE's part of Teaching Computation with MATLAB:Past Workshops:MATLAB Workshop October 2021:Activities
This assignment is for a Differential Equations course that has students use a computer to solve first order ODE's graphically using slope fields, numerically, and analytically. One part of the assignment has ...
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Integration of Nonelementary Functions part of Teaching Computation with MATLAB:Past Workshops:MATLAB Workshop 2019:Activities
The project is for students in a Multivariable Calculus class to use two different methods to numerically integrate a nonelementary function to a desired accuracy. The outcome of the project is a report describing ...
Essays (3)
Getting Started With Computation part of Teaching Computation with MATLAB:Past Workshops:MATLAB Workshop October 2021:Essays
This webpage is an educational essay discussing strategies for integrating computation into undergraduate STEM courses, advocating for introducing computational skills via spreadsheets before advancing to MATLAB, and emphasizing the importance of scaffolding computational learning across the curriculum to enhance student preparedness and career readiness.
Computational Assignments in Linear Algebra part of Teaching Computation with MATLAB:Past Workshops:MATLAB Workshop 2020:Essays
An essay page from the Teaching Computation with MATLAB workshop series presents Rick Downs' approach to integrating computational skills in undergraduate linear algebra, detailing MATLAB-based homework assignments on core topics like systems of equations and eigenvalues, a culminating group project with real-world applications, and pedagogical strategies for improving student collaboration and time management in technical computing education.
Using MATLAB in Mathematics Classes part of Teaching Computation with MATLAB:Past Workshops:MATLAB Workshop 2019:Essays
This essay page from the 2019 MATLAB Workshop discusses integrating MATLAB into undergraduate mathematics courses to develop students' computational thinking, detailing specific assignments across calculus, differential equations, and linear algebra that use MATLAB for modeling, data analysis, and visualization in support of STEM education.