CREATIVE INNOVATIVE BOLD 1969 2019 ITEM Innovative Teaching

CREATIVE. . . INNOVATIVE. . . BOLD

1969 -2019 ITEM Innovative Teaching Education in Mathematics

1969 -2019 The Landscape From: Education at a Glance 2018 OECD Indicators OECD publishing

1969 -2019 The Landscape

1969 -2019 The Millennial Student • • • More students means more diverse population Many of our students are working full and part time jobs while taking classes Most students most important objective is to be trained in order to get a good job after studies Want to be engaged Engaged by technologies but – – Perceive a sharp contrast between their comfort level of technology and the technology comfort level of their teachers Do not perceive computers by themselves as a technology

1969 -2019 The Millennial Student • • • Authentic learning experiences instead of “lecturing” the facts Games and simulations can “help learners visualize complex systems” There is zero tolerance for delays Multitasking is a way of life Less appreciative of authority – • Knowledge is at the tip of their fingers and as a result the difference between a consumer and a creator is blurring Doing is more important that knowing

1969 -2019 Conclusions • Higher education is no longer a prerogative of the elites • Higher education institutions should not cater to the top 5% but to the top 50% • Besides, there is a cultural change. Students are different • HEI must to change the way they teach

1969 -2019 Problems Facing Higher Education in General • • • Students are less and less prepared to higher education studies Due to the teaching methodology in many high schools, students lack learning skills They expect to be engaged and to entertained They are “practical”, i. e. , they expect that whatever they learn will provide them with skills for the job market Students understand very late that they are in trouble

1969 -2019 Problems Facing Math Education in HEI • Students are not motivated – • • Most don’t see the relevance of math studies to their future career and success Students are not engaged Students lack confidence Students lack learning skills Students lack prior knowledge

1969 -2019 Problems Facing Math Education in HEI • Higher Education Institutions lack the suitable infrastructure to support students needs • Higher Education Institutions lack the resources (time, money, facilities) to support students needs

1969 -2019 ITEM’s Key Principles • To increase students’ motivation, it is important to demonstrate to students that mathematics is crucial to their success – • By showing how math solves practical problems in their field of study It is important to identify students who are at risk to fall behind as soon as possible – Frequent testing, tracking software

1969 -2019 ITEM’s Key Principles • Help students learn better – – • Pair learning in class Gradually increase the difficulty level Mobile tools Visualizations Help teachers to teach better – PBL, POPBL

1969 -2019 ITEM’s Key Principles • Help students who lack prior knowledge – – • Prepare material needed for current classes Use available material Motivate – – – Show relevance Build confidence Show that the staff cares and ready to help

1969 -2019 ITEM’s Key Principles • Build Supportive Infrastructure – – Administrative – identify students who need help and direct them to the help they need, flexibility Academic – gradually paced material and classes for self study, mentors, special classes Assist students with special needs The student is not alone!

1969 -2019 ITEM’s Key Principles • Ability to easily duplicate ITEM in other HEIs – – – Implementation in diverse environments All material is available online Prefer freely available tools and when not possible inexpensive tools Include guides on how to implement ITEM Document the experience we have during implementation

1969 -2019 What is PBL? • “An instructional (and curricular) student centered approach that empowers students to conduct research, integrate theory and practice, and apply knowledge and skills to develop a viable solution to a defined problem. ” [1] Savery, J. R. (2006). Overview of Problem based Learning: Definitions and Distinctions. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem Based Learning, 1(1). Available at: https: //doi. org/10. 7771/1541 5015. 1002

1969 -2019 Premises of PBL • • Knowledge building in opposition to knowledge transfer from the individual and group interaction with the environment (context) Knowledge is anchored in the context Cognitive conflicts promote learning Cross different individual and group interpretations to develop knowledge

1969 -2019 PBL Characteristics • • • Core element: a “problem” = a real life situation that cannot be resolved with one’s own current knowledge [2] In the academic field, element that may be taken to begin the learning process Teamwork: learning with and from other people through collaborative learning Returning the responsibility for learning to the student Additional competences: thinking, team work, collaborative learning, problem solving, reflection and communication [3] Revans, R. (2011). ABC of action learning. Routledge.

1969 -2019 An Example in Mathematics • PBL project theme for the Mathematics Program, AAU – 1 st semester in Discrete mathematics • Description: The project should be about graphs. It may also be relevant to deal with algorithms and their complexity. In addition, basic topics in mathematics, such as quantitative and proof methods can also be used in this project. You can work with: – – theoretical problems on the structure and properties of graphs and/or theory and application of optimization in graphs

1969 -2019 Suggested Problems • • Graph cohesion and transport in networks Matching and the assignment problem The Hamiltonian cycle and the Traveling Salesperson Problem Spanning trees

1969 -2019 Semester Project Examples • Two cases from the Mathematics Program, AAU – 2 nd semester: • Case A – applied mathematics: How to optimize the route of a transportation company, which collects eggs from farmers in Denmark. The eggs are afterwards distributed to various supermarkets (optimal routes and reduce pollution) – Graph Theory and testing of three algorithms. Results (fastest/shortest route, complexity). Discussion on future analysis and on mathematical modeling

1969 -2019 Semester Project Examples • Two cases from the Mathematics Program, AAU – 2 nd semester: • Case B – pure mathematics: flow in a network – – A theoretical problem in an unknown “territory” Discusion on Graph Theory, Algorithms, Network/Flow, Fields, Network coding and multi casting. Conclusion: how to determine the max flow in a network (Edmonds Karp/Jaggi Sanders algorithm) – mathematical modeling

1969 -2019 Scope Curricula Linear Algebra Calculus 1 Students who lack prior knowledge

1969 -2019 Supporting Methodology Documents Teaching methodology document Study guidelines for students How to deal with students who fall behind

1969 -2019 Supporting Software Visualizations and CAS tools Prediction tool that tracks students at risk of falling behind Automate tests and practice problems Supporting Software

1969 -2019 Meetings Training seminars for teachers Industry meet up Dissemination seminars

1969 -2019 Test Institutions Uzbekistan Kosovo Israel NUUz Uo. M HIT TUIT NSK HAC KEEI Uo. P Rep. N. Macedonia Greece FINKI HMU Crete Additional participants come from the Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, North Macedonia, Spain and Sweden

1969 -2019 Project Stages Preparation Development II Alpha phase Preparing for full implementation Finalize project

1969 -2019 "The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsi ble for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. "