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The CATAM project at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, aims to improve the teaching of applied mathematics already given by the department, by using a computer to supplement analytical techniques. In the lecture room, calculations are performed rapidly allowing teacher and student to concentrate on the mathematical and physical significance of the results. In a practical class, the student can investigate a problem computationally. Graphical displays are essential for rapid assimilation of results.The computing system needed and developed since 1968 is described.Two courses have been developed. The first teaches programming and basic numerical methods with examples drawn from other fields of applied mathematics. The second continues this, and then offers a choice of computational projects drawn from the whole field of applied mathematics. Both courses are optional and much enjoyed by students.Computer demonstrations have been developed and used widely in lectures.The project has demonstrated that computational facilities are immensely valuable to the teaching of applied mathematics.

Evaluation and development of computer assisted learning projects are seen as interlocking processes. It is suggested that the apparent lack of attention paid to evaluation by CAL projects generally is partly due to a reluctance on the part of those involved to put forward their own - -possibly subjective - criteria for assessing progress as valid evaluation judgements. It is argued that not only are such criteria useful in evaluation, but also as a means of describing and passing on experience of CAL operations, particularly to those considering starting such operations. These ideas are illustrated by a few brief descriptions of decisions that have been made during the course of the CATAM project.

THE RENAISSANCE PROJECT, funded by Apple Computer, set out to demonstrate the potential of interactive multimedia for University teaching. In an attempt to exploit possible inter-disciplinary requirements, the Renaissance Teams were deliberately chosen to foster cross curricular approaches. The aim of the project was to investigate the use of hyper/multimedia in creating a learning environment which was beneficial to both teachers and learners. This paper describes the experiences of the Mathematics Team, beginning with the development of a hypertext version of an existing textbook and leading to the writing of seven modules at the basic calculus level. Various lessons and principles for courseware writing were learned, which have since been applied in subsequent projects to help academics without prior software expertise to become better courseware authors.

Myocardial exogenous substrate preference was studied under conditions of increased plasma lactate concentration before and after a severe (halving of tissue ATP concentration, sixfold increase in tissue lactate concentration) but reversible (<1% necrosis on reperfusion) global ischaemic stress produced by continuous hypothermic electromechanical arrest of the heart of four hours duration by aortic cross clamping and multidose potassium cardioplegia. Fatty acid oxidation was studied using l-l4C-palmitate under steady state conditions and under similar isovolumic fixed pressure conditions with the heart at a constant rate using a left ventricular intracavitary balloon. Exogenous free fatty acid oxidation during the pre-ischaemic period with an increased lactate concentration (3.9-5.8 mmol·litre–1) was 0.62(0.21) µmol·min–1·100 g–1 (mean (SEM)). This represented a mean of 32% of the total carbon dioxide produced in contrast to a post-ischaemia free fatty oxidation rate of 2.67(0.87) µmol·min–1·100 g–1, in the presence of even further increased plasma lactate concentrations (8.47-11.17 mmol·litre–1), representing a mean of 82% of the total carbon dioxide output. These data suggest that the substrate preference of the myocardium, under conditions of increased plasma lactate concentration, shifts to greater oxidation of exogenous free fatty acids after ischaemic stress.