The tutor discusses homework which has been done without computers, and students then work on computer exercises in pairs. The study guide is a vital part of the course. It is a weekly presentation containing relevant topics and references to the relevant paragraphs in Strang, extensions to Strang's exercises, an introduction to relevant Matlab commands, and computer exercises. Students could be supplied with examples of Matlab output - this is less motivating and less creative, but suits some situations such as homework and examinations. Tutorial sessions function very well, especially for students working in pairs.
Some topics are difficult.
The formulation of good exercises is very time consuming. Results in examinations are satisfactory, but difficult to compare with the results from traditional courses. In general, students learn an approach to mathematics that they will go on to use as professional engineers. At Eindhoven, students do not have computers in their examinations, but output from Matlab is included in the exam questions. However, students must hand in their results before they can enter for the exam, and tutors are happy to comment on the way results are presented.