ACTIVE LEARNING IN REDESIGNING MATHEMATICS COURSES FOR ENGINEERING STUDENTS

Abstract

“Prepare, Participate, Practice”: active learning in designing basic maths courses for engineering students at TU Delft works! The PRoject Innovation Mathematics Education (PRIME) at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) is all about redesigning mathematics courses for engineers. This paper describes the process of developing, implementing, evaluating and implementing again of three basic courses at TU Delft using a blended learning approach developed by a growing team of teachers from the mathematics department. Our findings suggest that the approach taken enhances students’ learning performance in maths education. The main results show that students have a more active learning experience compared to the traditional setup of these courses, leading to more engagement, more interaction and better results. An important role is played by meaningful examples taken from the engineering faculty where the students are studying, showing students from that faculty what role the mathematics play in their field of interest. This is also used to develop their skills in mathematical modelling.