Modifying an existing SIMIODE project to create an in-depth project requiring a written report

Abstract

AbstractThis article considers starting with an existing SIMIODE modeling scenario [Winkel, B. (2015). 1-031-CoolIt-ModelingScenario. SIMIODE (Version 2.0). QUBES Educational Resources. https://doi.org/10.25334/3WG8-EC31] that develops Newton's law of cooling by considering data on the cooling of a beaker of water in a room, and expanding upon it to create a longer project modeling the temperature of a building with an internal heat pump that is also subject to a sinusoidal varying outside temperature. The proposed project was undertaken early on in the course, since little background was required, and a longer project format was utilised so that students could return to the project and see direct applications of new concepts, such as autonomous vs. nonautonomous ordinary differential equations, slope fields, and Euler's method as they were introduced. The project prompt is provided as well as a detailed discussion of the motivation behind the questions. Finally, the pros and cons of requiring the students to submit a written lab report for the project are reflected upon and a sample rubric is provided.KEYWORDS: Ordinary differential equationsmodelingwritten reportsrubricscoolingMATHEMATICAL SUBJECT CLASSIFICATION: 97M10 AcknowledgmentsParts of this project were motivated by the SIMIODE modeling scenario COOL IT. The real-world data on the temperature of the beaker of water was also taken from this source.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.