MATLAB

Tohoku University has acquired a campus-wide license for MathWorks' MATLAB numerical analysis software. Over 100 Toolboxes, including MATLAB and Simulink, are available on and off campus. Using MATLAB requires account creation, so please check "About the MATLAB Campus-Wide License". A detailed introduction to MATLAB is also available within Canvas LMS. If you wish to access the introduction page, please feel free to contact us below.

To use it, please see About the MATLAB Campus-Wide License (Internal access only).

[For more information on using MATLAB in Canvas LMS, please contact us here.]
Tohoku University
Center for Data-driven Science and Artificial Intelligence
lms-support[a]grp.tohoku.ac.jp (Please replace [a] with @)

Using MATLAB in university lectures, exercises, and experiments, compared to other languages like C/C++ or Python, offers significant advantages in both educational design and learning efficiency.

1. Focus on the "Essence of Theory" rather than Programming Syntax
   • Intuitive notation close to mathematical formulas: Matrix multiplication, inverse matrix calculations, and solving simultaneous equations (A \ b) can be written with almost the same feel as formulas in math textbooks.
   
   
   • Elimination of low-level processing: Prevents lecture time from being wasted on pointer operations, memory management, and type declaration errors, allowing students to focus on understanding "core mathematical and physical concepts" like linear algebra, differential equations, and Fourier transforms.



2. Extremely Few Environment Setup Troubles
   There are fewer troubles like "library version mismatch", "OS-dependent errors", and "virtual environment misconfigurations" that frequently occur in Python environments. Just by using the official installer, you can start classes with advanced calculation functions for linear algebra, statistics, optimization, signal processing, etc., all set up at once.



3. Immediate Graphing/Visualization for Intuitive Feedback
   
   • Generate 2D/3D plots, contour lines, and animations just by adding a single line of code.
   
   
   • Students can learn while visually confirming what abstract formulas physically mean, such as the step response of a transfer function, electromagnetic field distributions, and spectrograms of acoustic data.
   
   
   
4. "Live Scripts" Ideal for Class Materials and Report Creation
   Using the "MATLAB Live Editor", you can integrate executable code, formulas (LaTeX format), explanatory text, and output graphs into a single document.
   • For Faculty: Easily create interactive electronic text materials (e.g., letting students observe waveform changes by moving sliders for parameters).
   
   
   • For Students: Easily output and submit reports in PDF or HTML format that combine assignment analysis, code, and execution results.



5. Educational Support Ecosystem (MATLAB Grader / Online Self-Study Materials)
   
   • Auto-Grading (MATLAB Grader): Instantly auto-grades student-submitted code based on test cases and returns feedback. It significantly reduces the grading burden on faculty while allowing students to autonomously use trial and error until they reach the correct answer.
   
   
   • MATLAB Onramp: A free interactive online tutorial for beginners (learn basic operations in about 2 hours) is provided, which can be incorporated as pre-class preparation or self-study assignments.
   
   
   
6. Block Diagram-Based Learning with Simulink
   In dynamic systems and control engineering lectures, block diagram modeling using "Simulink" is possible in addition to text code. Since physical circuits, PID control loops, and dynamic models can be built by connecting blocks and simulation results can be checked in real time, the implementation image of control theory is much easier to grasp.

Typical Lecture Fields of Application

Field	Main Application Details
Linear Algebra & Numerical Analysis	Singular Value Decomposition, Eigenvalue Analysis, Numerical Integration, Runge-Kutta Methods
Control Engineering & Robotics	Bode Plot / Root Locus Drawing, PID Controller Tuning, State Equation Analysis
Signal & Image Processing	FFT (Fast Fourier Transform), Filter Design, Edge Detection, Wavelet Transform
Mechanics & Electromagnetics	Equation of Motion Simulation for Particle/Rigid Body Systems, 3D Visualization of Electric/Magnetic Field Vectors

MATLAB's Self-Paced Online Courses (MATLAB Academy) is an interactive e-learning platform provided on the web by the developer, MathWorks.

Unlike typical courses that involve just watching videos, its greatest feature is that you can learn practically by actually entering and executing MATLAB code in your browser.

• Browser-Based (No Installation Required)
  Even without MATLAB installed on your PC, the MATLAB environment (MATLAB Online) runs in the web browser, making it easy to start learning.


• Hands-on with Immediate Auto-Grading
  When you type and run code for a given assignment, the system automatically determines if it's correct on the spot and returns hints and feedback.

By accessing the Canvas LMS course named 'MathWork Online Contents (example)', you will find detailed instructions on how to use it.
To access the course, an invitation is required, so please request one via the contact information below.

[For more information on using MATLAB in Canvas LMS, please contact us here.]
Tohoku University
Center for Data-driven Science and Artificial Intelligence
lms-support[a]grp.tohoku.ac.jp (Please replace [a] with @)

→ Log in to Canvas LMS

MATLAB Grader is a cloud-based educational support tool that distributes faculty-created MATLAB programming assignments online and automatically executes and grades student-submitted code. It is designed to minimize the effort required to grade exercises and reports while promoting students' active programming learning.

• Web-Based and LMS Integration
  Code is executed in the MathWorks cloud environment, not on the student's PC. It supports standard specifications "LTI (Learning Tools Interoperability) 1.1 / 1.3", officially supporting embedding into Tohoku University's Canvas LMS and automatic grade synchronization (Grade Sync).


• Streamlined Grading Operations
  The moment it is submitted, the test script runs, and scoring and pass/fail determination are completed.


• Flexible and Strict Test Design
  It can automatically determine not only the match of the final calculation result but also the validity of the process, such as "the size and type of specific variables" and "whether a specific function is used (or prohibited functions are avoided)".

[Basic Usage in Class]

By accessing the Canvas LMS course named 'MathWork Online Contents (example)', you will find detailed instructions on how to use it.
To access the course, an invitation is required, so please request one via the contact information below.

[For more information on using MATLAB in Canvas LMS, please contact us here.]
Tohoku University
Center for Data-driven Science and Artificial Intelligence
lms-support[a]grp.tohoku.ac.jp (Please replace [a] with @)

→ Log in to Canvas LMS