Role of Mathematics in Providing Study Process Integrity in Engineering Education
Presentation of the 6th Conference on Nordic Mathematics Education (NORMA 11) 2011
Sarmīte Čerņajeva, Anda Zeidmane

The quality of the higher education depends on the quality of individual study subjects. The expediency and the length of the study subjects included in the study programmes are estimated by the contribution of the corresponding subject in the achievement of the overall aim. In order to provide the integrity of the study process at the university, three factors have to be observed in the study process of each subject: 1. the quality of students’ competences depends not only on the amount of knowledge in a certain discipline, but also and mainly on the ability to solve problems, 2. the awareness of the specific character of the study subject, 3. the awareness of a dual character of the study process - the correlation between individual and collective activities. As regards the first factor and the competence of a future engineer, the following features are taken into account: 1) the amount of knowledge, 2) integrity and three problem-solving abilities that are mainly developed by Mathematics, 3) the ability to formulate a problem in cognitive sphere, 4) the ability to construct the solution of a problem, 5) the ability to apply a constructive solution of a problem to the real situation (Yerushalmy,2001). The specific character of Mathematics (the 2nd factor) is conveyed by the following: • Mathematics is a language of signs that combines a continuous unity of the verbal expression and the sub-language of special symbols with exact rules in the word education. • Long chains of logic conclusions are characteristic of Mathematics. • Teaching methods of Mathematics envisage huge didactic units of learning material. • Many problem situations caused by acquiring the system of Mathematics knowledge provide little opportunities for student discussions. According to the third factor, an individual, his/her awareness and cognition are in close relationship with various forms of collective practice and cognition (Lektorskij,1981). The issue of the process of management of Mathematics education is viewed from two aspects: 1) the creation of the study programmes of Mathematics (the estimation of the content and length, the change of focus, the distribution of content among levels, the inclusion of IT programmes), and 2) the organization of the study process (the inclusion of ICT in the study process, the interdisciplinary approach, self-developed requirements, the diversification of teaching methods, the development of e-learning materials).


Atslēgas vārdi
Study process integrity, management of Mathematics education

Čerņajeva, S., Zeidmane, A. Role of Mathematics in Providing Study Process Integrity in Engineering Education. No: Presentation of the 6th Conference on Nordic Mathematics Education (NORMA 11), Islande, Reykjavik, 11.-14. maijs, 2011. Reykjavik: University of Iceland, 2011, 1.-1.lpp.

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