Frequently Asked Questions

System and General Information

What are the system requirements for MiGen 1.10948?

  • Operating System:  The MiGen tools should work in all operating systems where Java 6.0 or later can be installed. This includes Windows 2000 or later, Mac OS X 10.4 or later, and Ubuntu Linux 10 or later.
  • Memory: We recommend having at least 1GM (computers with less memory will run the software more slowly). 

Can I run MiGen from a memory stick?

  • Yes: Download and unzip the zip file as usual and then move the unzipped folder to the memory stick. Make sure you have space also for the log files that will be written there by MiGen as it runs.

What learning activities is MiGen good for?

  • MiGen comes with a set of sample learning tasks, which you can see when you start the eXpresser. The tasks are listed in order of complexity with regards to the algebraic rule underlying the model that students are asked to create.
  • A good place to start is the tutorial on the page about the eXpresser. We are currently producing additional learning materials to support teachers. Please contact us for a draft of these, as we would very much welcome your input and feedback.

Is there a manual for MiGen?

We are working on a comprehensive manual. In the meantime the following links should provide enough information to get you started with using the system:

How do I change the set of tasks available in eXpresser?

How do I make a new task?

Is MiGen available in languages other than English?

  • eXpresser comes in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Greek. You can easily provide your own translation: please see the wiki page for how to do that. If you do that, we would ask you please to share this with us so that it can be included in future versions. We are also working to make the intelligent feedback available in different languages. The Teacher tools come in English and their language is limited to a set of simple menus (but it is possible to translate these too, so feel free to contact us if you think this is needed and you can help translating them)

Can I change the terminolgy eXpresser uses?

  • e.g. can I change ‘unlock number’ to ‘variable’. In principle this is possible (please see the section above about language). However, there is a complex interplay between the pedagogy, the software and the algebraic ways of thinking we would like students do develop. PleaseContact us to discuss options and share our findings. We are open to ideas and requests.

License, Permission, and Source Code

Is MiGen free?

  • Yes! You can download, copy, and use MiGen free of charge.

What is the license for MiGen? 

  • MiGen (and its various components) is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or (your option) any later version. See http://www.gnu.org/licenses/

Where can I find the source code for MiGen?

  • The source code for MiGen, written mostly in Java, is hosted on Google Code from where you can checkout the code anonymously as read only. If you do that or you would like to contribute either by making changes or helping with some of our enhancements please contact us. for more information.

The Future of MiGen

 Will there be future versions of Migen?

  • Yes, the project team is working on a new version tentatively called MiGen 2.0 that provides a web-version of eXpresser (see web-expresser.appspot.com and additional collaborative features. See the main differences between the web and the standalone versions

 How can I suggest new features and improvements?