We present R-Interface, a software application that offers an alternative graphical user interface (GUI) to MATLAB engine and functionality. The purpose of this work is to present a solution based on encapsulating and reusing proprietary environments. This will allow developing custom user interfaces where we can enhance particular features, as educational ones, in order to have more comprehensive and really user friendly GUIs. Since functionality is reused, and therefore it does not have to be implemented, we will have the possibility to build powerful and ad hoc tools for teaching and investigating, in a short term and at low costs. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 14: 313–320, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.20081