Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 172-191 |
| Number of pages | 20 |
| Journal | European journal of engineering education: EJEE ; official journal of SEFI |
| Volume | 41 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Publication status | Published - 2016 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Abstract
Too difficult, too abstract, too theoretical – many first-year engineering students complain about their mathematics courses. The project MathePraxis aims to resolve this disaffection. It links mathematical methods as they are taught in the first semesters with practical problems from engineering applications – and thereby shall give first-year engineering students a vivid and convincing impression of where they will need mathematics in their later working life. But since real applications usually require more than basic mathematics and first-year engineering students typically are not experienced with construction, mensuration and the use of engineering software, such an approach is hard to realise. In this article, we show that it is possible. We report on the implementation of MathePraxis at Ruhr-Universität Bochum. We describe the set-up and the implementation of a course on designing a mass damper which combines basic mathematical techniques with an impressive experiment. In an accompanying evaluation, we have examined the students' motivation relating to mathematics. This opens up new perspectives how to address the need for a more practically oriented mathematical education in engineering sciences.
Keywords
- differential equations, first-year students, mass damper, mathematics, motivation, oscillation, practical orientation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Social Sciences(all)
- Education
- Engineering(all)
- General Engineering
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In: European journal of engineering education: EJEE ; official journal of SEFI, Vol. 41, No. 2, 2016, p. 172-191.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Linking mathematics with engineering applications at an early stage
T2 - implementation, experimental set-up and evaluation of a pilot project
AU - Rooch, Aeneas
AU - Junker, Philipp
AU - Härterich, Jörg
AU - Hackl, Klaus
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2015 SEFI.
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - Too difficult, too abstract, too theoretical – many first-year engineering students complain about their mathematics courses. The project MathePraxis aims to resolve this disaffection. It links mathematical methods as they are taught in the first semesters with practical problems from engineering applications – and thereby shall give first-year engineering students a vivid and convincing impression of where they will need mathematics in their later working life. But since real applications usually require more than basic mathematics and first-year engineering students typically are not experienced with construction, mensuration and the use of engineering software, such an approach is hard to realise. In this article, we show that it is possible. We report on the implementation of MathePraxis at Ruhr-Universität Bochum. We describe the set-up and the implementation of a course on designing a mass damper which combines basic mathematical techniques with an impressive experiment. In an accompanying evaluation, we have examined the students' motivation relating to mathematics. This opens up new perspectives how to address the need for a more practically oriented mathematical education in engineering sciences.
AB - Too difficult, too abstract, too theoretical – many first-year engineering students complain about their mathematics courses. The project MathePraxis aims to resolve this disaffection. It links mathematical methods as they are taught in the first semesters with practical problems from engineering applications – and thereby shall give first-year engineering students a vivid and convincing impression of where they will need mathematics in their later working life. But since real applications usually require more than basic mathematics and first-year engineering students typically are not experienced with construction, mensuration and the use of engineering software, such an approach is hard to realise. In this article, we show that it is possible. We report on the implementation of MathePraxis at Ruhr-Universität Bochum. We describe the set-up and the implementation of a course on designing a mass damper which combines basic mathematical techniques with an impressive experiment. In an accompanying evaluation, we have examined the students' motivation relating to mathematics. This opens up new perspectives how to address the need for a more practically oriented mathematical education in engineering sciences.
KW - differential equations
KW - first-year students
KW - mass damper
KW - mathematics
KW - motivation
KW - oscillation
KW - practical orientation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84955389363&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/03043797.2015.1056095
DO - 10.1080/03043797.2015.1056095
M3 - Article
VL - 41
SP - 172
EP - 191
JO - European journal of engineering education: EJEE ; official journal of SEFI
JF - European journal of engineering education: EJEE ; official journal of SEFI
IS - 2
ER -