Mathematical Communication and Representation in a Virtual Learning Environment A Case Study

At an exclusively online university such as the UOC the necessity for communicating mathematics in the web is pressing. In an environment that does not allow for face to face communication, things implicitly communicated when using a blackboard, such as the canonical verbalization or handwriting of formulae, are lost and become a big obstacle. Also, the editorial process for the creation of learning/teaching resources is suited for a generalist approach and, consequently, needs such as those presented by formula typesetting, especially for web-based materials, are not deemed a priority. In the last two years a series of innovation projects and initiatives have been set off in the UOC in order to improve the situation: the use of LATEX and MathML standards in writing web resources, the use of LATEX, MathML and other technologies in verbalization and locution of formulae, and the study of current possibilities for mathematical handwriting recognition.