- #1
matqkks
- 285
- 5
How can we attract students to study mathematics at university?
Jamma said:Tell them they can get rich doing it?
Nah, I'm kidding. I think the problem is the curriculum. Mathematics is an amazingly fascinating subject, but ask almost anyone in the UK (even university students who don't do maths) and it's VERY likely they will say that they hate maths/can't do maths. I think this is usually a mix of people having very bad teachers and learning very boring mathematics.
When I tell people that I do maths, they say "oh, so you must be good with really large numbers and arithmetic". This is so telling. It seems the curriculum is designed to try and teach kids as much "useful" mathematics as they can- to teach them to enter numbers into an algorithm and get results. They don't care so much whether or not the students actually know what they are doing, we are almost teaching kids to be mini calculators. What we should be doing is teaching kids interesting mathematics that will allow them to be able to easily learn these sort of skills on their own without forcing them to have to know how to compute a student t-test, for example.
So the answer is simple- expose children to interesting mathematics! (and possibly make them do more of it)
Jamma said:You learn logic before you go to university? We don't in the UK- I think getting kids able to manipulate logical statements would be very beneficial actually. It doesn't take long to teach what the contrapositive of a statement is, and even when I saw this for the first time at university I found it rather illuminating.
I think that a fundamental understanding of how logical proofs work and should be formed is something that everyone should learn at some point, even if they aren't thinking about going into maths- one of my most hated things about society is that people can think they are making a good argument and be talking absolute gibberish! I know that a knowledge of logic wouldn't solve this, but getting people to think about what does and doesn't count for a logical deduction, I feel, would be amazingly beneficial.
maggiemaeu said:ah, i see. the solution to these problems is understanding when to introduce certain components of the curriculum and how much information is too much. for example, you don't need inverses, converses, biconditionals, logical equivalence, truth values, and all the properties concerning the subject. the symbols and charts are all potentially confusing to an average student and aren't necessarily needed in describing a contrapositive. it all comes back to determining exactly what is overkill. though an understanding of logical proofs would certainly be beneficial, the fact is that if you go too deep into the subject, you lose the attention of the students.
half the class pays only little attention to my math teacher. that is a fact.
matqkks said:How can we attract students to study mathematics at university?
chiro said:They are taught that things like balancing equations are "rules" and you have to follow the "rules". As a poster mentioned above, this kind of "non-creative" environment may be an indicator as to why people think math is boring, and quite frankly I don't blame them.
matqkks said:How can we attract students to study mathematics at university?
phyzguy said:Why do we need to attract more students to study mathematics? Is there a shortage of pure mathematicians? On the contrary, my experience has been that people that do major in mathematics have trouble finding jobs in their field.
paulfr said:The textbooks are too complex.
Math ideas are really quite simple at the HS level.
But the books are written by Profs trying to impress Administrators
and other Profs. They are not written for the average student with
clarity and simplicity in mind.
Singapore does it much better than most.
Well the first problem is maybe a 10th of the population ( I may even be way high here) has a clue to what a mathematician does, much less what careers are involved with such a degree.matqkks said:How can we attract students to study mathematics at university?
Studying mathematics at university can provide a strong foundation for many careers, such as in finance, data analysis, and computer science. It also develops critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills that are highly valued in many industries.
Universities can offer a variety of courses and programs that highlight the practical applications of mathematics, incorporate technology and real-world problems, and provide opportunities for hands-on learning. They can also promote the diverse career options available to mathematics graduates.
One way is to introduce mathematics in a fun and engaging way at an early age. This can help build a positive attitude towards math and reduce anxiety. Additionally, incorporating real-life examples and providing individualized support can help students understand and appreciate the subject.
Yes, there are many resources available, such as online tutorials, practice problems, and study groups. Universities also have math tutoring centers and professors who are willing to provide additional support for students who are struggling.
Some important skills for success in mathematics at university include strong foundational knowledge, critical thinking, problem-solving, and the ability to work well with numbers and symbols. Good time management, organization, and perseverance are also essential for managing the workload in math courses.