Project Java’s applets are designed to help people, especially students, learn important mathematical or scientific concepts at their own pace. Many times a college professor giving a lecture will quickly mention a concept that a student may have learned already but does not remember well. A thorough understanding of that concept would enable the student to grasp the ideas presented in the lecture more effectively, but the professor may not have time to describe that concept in detail. For example, a computer science professor may be discussing a binary search algorithm and will point out its invariant. The professor might not explain how one can determine an algorithm’s invariant or even describe what an invariant is, even though it is likely that a number of students in the room would benefit from that information. These students could view our applets, some of which cover algorithm invariants, on any computer with a Java-enabled World Wide Web browser. The applets employ colorful graphics, informative displays, and easy to use graphical user interfaces to allow students to learn interactively and at their own pace.

All of our applets are stored on a Web server. To use our applets, one simply goes to our Web page and clicks on the link to the desired program. The program runs inside a browser window, as if it were part of a Web page. Each of our applets works in its own way, but all have instructions on how to use them and an intuitive user interface. No particular type of computer is needed; our applets are written in Java and so they can run on a Java 1.1-enabled Web browser on any platform, including Mac OS, Windows, and the UNIX X-Window system. For more information on how to use a particular applet, go to our Web page at http://www.journey.sunysb.edu/ProjectJava/ and click on the applet’s link. The Web page that loads will contain the applet as well as instructions on its use.

Our applets take advantage of the technology in Sun Microsystems’ Java programming language. A Java applet is stored on a Web server and when a user connects to its page, it is automatically downloaded and started inside the user’s Web browser, making applets an easier method of distributing software than conventional techniques, such as downloadable installers. Using applets is literally one-click easy. Applets also run on many different computer platforms without modification. There were two big challenges we faced while designing our software. One was ease of use; we wanted users to spend more time learning what the applet teaches rather than learning how to use the applet. We also had to determine the best way to teach users. We aimed to minimize confusion and present information in a clear and interactive manner.

We expect that these applets will have a significant impact on students everywhere. Considering that they are free, they are easy to obtain and use, and they complement and enhance courses by teaching important background material, it seems likely that schools across the country and perhaps even around the world will find these applets to be an essential supplement to any educational program. Much time and effort went into developing these applets and we hope that educators and students will get just as much out of them.