Re: Teaching Using Octave

[Doug Stewart]

I also use Octave in my courses.

1) I give them an introductory lab that just explores Octave and the 
concept of M files.
(Even if I used Matlab I would do the same. I did use matlab years ago.)
- they have had programming already C++, C#, VB, 6811, PIC.

2) I have found that Andy Adler's port to windows works the best for my 
students.
http://www.site.uottawa.ca/~adler/octave/ ( I use the 10 meg ver.)
- it allows the students to cut and paste to Open Office.
- it is a little old but works for what we do.
( Laplace space and Z space design of filters and controllers, PID etc
and ODE simulators - model the real world in Laplace and Z space, then 
build it with opamps
or program it in C#)

3) My students just go to the web for help.
(3rd year students.)



Burke, Dr. Richard wrote:

> I know a bit about the history of Octave, and if I’m not mistaken, 
> several faculty have taught courses using Octave. I will be teaching a 
> course called Engineering Analysis in the fall, and I am thinking 
> about basing the course on Octave. The course is for junior level 
> engineers from mechanical, electrical, and related disciplines.
>
> A few questions:
>
> 1. Is there anything published about your experience or the experience 
> of others in using Octave as the computational basis for a course? 
> There are countless books based upon MATLAB, MathCAD, etc.
>
> 2. Is the Octave documentation adequate for undergraduate engineers? I 
> am concerned about having the course devolve into a software tutorial, 
> and like most small college programs, we do not have teaching assistants.
>
> 3. Any advice as to whether (or how) I should do this?
>
> Thanks for any help you can give me.
>
> *//**/_______________________/*
>
> */Dr. Richard Burke, '72/*
>
> */Chairman and Professor of Engineering/*
>
> */Maritime College/*
>
> */State University of New York /*
>
> */6 Pennyfield Avenue/*
>
> */Throggs Neck, NY 10465/*
>
> */Voice: 718.409.7411/*
>
> */Fax: 718.409.7421/*



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