Inductive approach

An engineering professor from Ryerson uses MapleSim to introduce more exploratory methods of teaching.

Dr. James Andrew Smith, Electrical and Biomedical Engineering Professor at Ryerson University in Toronto, is very excited about experimental changes he made to his teaching approach in class. He introduced tools and methods that help students generate knowledge through interaction, explore the subject better, and create a more in-depth understanding of the subject. He calls this an “inductive approach” to learning rather than the traditional “deductive approach.” He considers MapleSim-the system-level modeling and simulation tool from Maplesoft-as a key inductive learning tool, very different from deductive learning tools.

Smith introduced MapleSim in the third-year Electrical Engineering program in classes focusing on an introduction to robotics and microsystems. One goal of these classes is to familiarize students with tools for analysis, simulation, visualization, and design. He used the system-level modeling tool to see how an inductive approach to learning can improve student comprehension.