Mood:
brightNow Playing: don't have a clue what the name of the song is!
Topic: Research questions
I found out today that my first comments on this blog was made on January 26! Guess what ... it was somebody from the OU - which makes it a bit too close to home.
Anyway, created a list of research questions for James and Doug about 2 weeks ago, and it seems as if we are going with the original research question. But they asked me to unpack what I mean by computational and learning tool - oh that has got me stumped. James like the idea a bit better now - I think - at least got that impression from our meeting, because I was able to make conjectures about the different disciplines. Now these conjectures are based on my experience of teaching LP, so I figured that
1. Mathematics students: most likely would not use any of the LP software, since it is all into the mechanistics of mathematics. But I think I am more likely to find learning LP software here ... if any.
2. Business and Management students: I think most likely they would use the computational software, simply, because they need to apply the answer to make a managerial decision, and they are not into the understanding of heavy maths.
3. Engineering students: I feel these can use either ... if I group the OR students here, I think they will use the learning tools, and if it is the engineering management students it will be computational tools.
So, that's my conjectures. Still haven't gotten around to unpacking the ideas of computational and learning tools ... not certain what is meant by unpacking so stuck there. I think what Doug meant is to find the components that make up these words. Possibly, why they decided we should have a demonstration of the software. Well, so far, I've gotten two software (WinQBS and Lindo), got the Solver Add-in, I think there is another add-in but I can't remember the name, its something like XLP - got to find it and install it and I have some java applet programmes. Only problem, one of the better one, claims I have to update my java applets, I think I have to install a JRE - that will take ages to download! Oh well, I guess I can demonstrate how those are use, and probably between my supervisors and I we can figure what relates to computational and learning tools.
I wanted to relate it to about 6 different aspects in LP problems itself, these are:
1. Formulating the problem
2. Inputting the problem into the computer
3. Understanding of the simplex algorithm (or other method)
4. Interpretation of the results
5. Interpretation of the sensitivity analysis
6. Application of results to problems
Anyway, still not sure where I stand ... wonder if I have said so far even makes sense! Well, promised my supervisors a draft outline of a proposal by today!!! Wondering if I can make that deadline I've imposed on myself ...
Anyway, I'm going back to work on my ethnography - got a TMA due Tuesday coming.
