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OneStone Pebbles - About this collection

Author(s): 
Dave Richards (Bright Ideas Software)

Designed to Stimulate a Deep Understanding of Dynamic Relationships

While the topic of each Pebble is different, the experience of using each remains as constant as possible, and features several elements identified as contributing to the development of a deeper understanding of dynamic covariant relationships; e.g.:

  • The user is given control of the experience. This is achieved at several levels; for instance, rather than displaying illustrations/animations of pre-defined functions, Pebbles display representations of arbitrary user-defined expressions.
  • High quality graphics are used to depict the user-defined expression. To be fully effective as an illustration of a dynamic system, and to truly trigger deeper insight into a given covariant relationship, the graphics technology employed must be capable of smooth animation and realistic enough so as not to distract the eye, and mind, from the mathematical relationship being illustrated. Realistic lighting and shading effects are essential to this goal, exploiting innate human capabilities to gather information visually.
  • Information is simultaneously presented in multiple formats. Adding a three dimensional display teases minds with possibilities beyond normal expectations, even with topics historically treated exclusively with two dimensional visualizations.

Dave Richards (Bright Ideas Software), "OneStone Pebbles - About this collection," Convergence (February 2010), DOI:10.4169/loci003315