Eupheteach

Euphegrid

The Euphegrid supports math being taught, using text in monospaced mode. Adjacent character cells can be merged. Single cells or merged cells can contain either monospaced text or graphics. Superscripts are offset vertically by half a character cell. All functionality is written in a Python-like language called Euphegram, itself implemented in Java. The most commonly used commands are as follows:

• Use the arrow keys to move the cursor.
• Type underscore(s) to underline the numerator of a fraction.
• Use the special character command (Ctrl+K) to insert special characters such as pi, square root, sum, and integral.
• Use Tab/Shift+Tab to display/undo the next step in the math problem being solved.
• Type question mark (?) to explain the current step or to break the current step down into lower-level steps.
• Click on Help after typing question mark to access the help system.

Miscellaneous commands:

• Use asterisk and slash for multiply and divide.
• Fractions or matrices enclosed in brackets use tall brackets.
• Smart down/up arrow: press it after inserting a character moves the cursor beneath/above that character.
• Functions such as lines and parabolas can be plotted interactively on a graph. Text in core Euphegrid-based graphs is limited to digits and a limited number (say 30) of uppercase letters.
• The default-to-upper-case setting assumes that all letters entered are upper case (use the shift key to enter a lower case letter), so Caps Lock is unnecessary.

Euphedesk:

• Display screen based on EGML: EupheGram Markup Language
• May include panels, and those panels may contain Euphegrids

Expression Language

Mathematical expressions are encoded (internally) using the Euphegram programming language. Each step in the math problem being solved manipulates this Euphegram expression. Even if the user enters steps in a different order than the default ordering, the simplification logic can handle that. The user can type Tab/Shift+Tab to redo/undo her previous step, as well as to redo/undo the computer's previous step.

Computer Demos

Eupheteach can be used to teach computer skills. The student's laptop runs the practise demos featuring screenshots, cursor animation, and always-on-top yellow windows with black text. The yellow windows contain instructions to the student, and the tutor's smartphone is in sync with the student. The student can also run live demos including yellow windows, with MS Office, Chrome, or other applications running beneath the yellow windows. During the live demos, the tutor's smartphone is also in sync with the student.

For advanced Euphegrid features, please click on Steps and scroll down.

Mandate

The primary mandate of Eupheteach, and its most useful feature, is that it links volunteer tutors with clients of nonprofit organizations seeking instruction in math and literacy. Those clients will only be accepted if Eupheteach receives an email from the partner nonprofit organizations vouching for their eligibility. At first expenses will exceed revenue, and funding from the government and other sources will be required. The subscription fees will be called "donations". In case revenue from the subscription fees eventually exceeds expenses someday, then external funding will no longer be required. A secondary mandate is linking paid tutors with those seeking instruction, supporting credit card payments while charging 5 percent transaction fees.