Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access originally published online on July 14, 2008
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications 2008 27(3):131-139; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrn012
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Closing the gap between formalism and application—PBL and mathematical skills in engineering
Address for correspondence: Ole Ravn Christensen, Department of Education, Learning and Philosophy, Aalborg University, Denmark. E-mail: orc{at}learning.aau.dk
Submitted May 2008; accepted June 2008
A common problem in learning mathematics concerns the gap between, on the one hand, doing the formalisms and calculations of abstract mathematics and, on the other hand, applying these in a specific contextualized setting for example the engineering world. The skills acquired through problem-based learning (PBL), in the special model used at Aalborg University, Denmark, may give us some idea of how to bridge this gap. Through an investigation of a series of examples of student projects concerning the application of mathematical subjects—such as matrices, differential equations, cluster analysis, graph theory etc.—the skills attained by participating students will be mapped out and discussed.
Ole Ravn Christensen was awarded the Cand. Scient. in Mathematics and Philosophy at Aalborg University in 1999 and a PhD in the Theory of Science at the Danish Centre for Educational Development in University Science in 2004. Presently he is an Associate Professor at the Department of Education, Learning and Philosophy, Aalborg University. He researches mathematics education, with a special focus on the applications of mathematics in other sciences. In connection to this, a special focal point of research is the use of the problem-based learning model in University Science and mathematics education as well as the organisation of mathematical studies in project groups.