Gaining useful insight into real-world problems through mathematical modelling is a valued activity across several disciplines including mathematics, biology, computer science and engineering. Differential equations are a valuable tool used in modelling. Modelling provides a way for students to engage with differential equations within a…

This is the first of four columns by Tim Erikson which introduces us to the Common Online Data Analysis Platform (CODAP). CODAP is a free, web-based software tool that your students can use for many types of tasks. This first column shows how CODAP can be used for mathematical modelling and where it might fit with the "Australian Curriculum:…

How might fourth graders address the problem of measuring the size of a leaf? And why might their classroom teachers choose such a shape to measure? One group of fourth-grade students in an urban Australian school were interested in knowing the sizes of leaves on a passionfruit vine growing at their school. The children were excited after a visit…

Media bias is an important and underexplored feature of the economics of information. In this article, the author outlines two models that can be used to illustrate media bias in a policy-oriented undergraduate economics or public policy course. The models rely on relatively simple and intuitive underlying assumptions and draw on related empirical…

An university in Chile developed a Digital Learning Routes (DLR) for three elective courses in the area of mathematics: (1) limits, derivatives, and integrals; (2) probabilities and descriptive and inferential statistics; and (3) three-dimensional geometry. A DLR is a sequence of e-learning activities that seeks to enable learners to build…

The year 2020 saw the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic that not only had wide-reaching social and economic consequences but also put healthcare systems under stress. Strategies for coping with the virus depended heavily on the interpretation of data. This article uses information from a UK upper tier local authority to examine how closely the…

In 2020, Year 12 students at John Curtin College of the Arts, were required to model COVID-19 data from five different countries in order to find correlations between daily infections and unemployment rates, in order to make future predictions. Work received from students demonstrated how the task successfully provided unique learning…

This paper describes an investigation looking at the underlying mathematics of poker machines. The aim of the investigation is for students to get an appreciation of how poker machines are designed to ensure that in the long-term players will inevitably lose when playing. The first part of this paper describes how students can model a simple poker…

Three mathematics education researchers discuss their findings on the use of diagrams in math instruction for English language learners. The authors show how diagrams can help students who are English learners better develop mathematical thinking and communicate their mathematical understanding.

This article provides information to educational leaders about how to address the challenge of supporting students who are emergent multilingual--i.e., those identified as English Learners (ELs) by their schools--in middle grades mathematics classes. The ideas in this article draw on research and collaborations with hundreds of teachers across the…

Mathematical modelling is acknowledged to be one of the major dimensions of mathematical competence, and well-designed modelling activities can provide students with the opportunity to use mathematical concepts and procedures in a meaningful way. Additionally, modelling activities are regarded as suitable contexts for enabling students to use…

We discuss teaching and learning situations that surfaced when computer programming and mathematics were brought together in a course where students write computer code to explore mathematics problems. Combining programming and mathematics creates a rich ecosystem which, on top of traditional mathematics activities (writing solutions, proofs,…

A textbook model of a contagious disease, the dynamics of which are represented by the SIS epidemic model with saturating treatment, is considered. I show that this model, as originally formulated, is not dimensionally consistent. The model can be fixed by including a dimensional constant [alpha] of value one (with units individuals[superscript…

The International Mathematical Modeling Challenge takes place towards the end of Term 1 each year in Australia. Students use their research, mathematical and creative abilities to develop a mathematical model to address a real world problem. Ross Turner describes some aspects of the competition.

Nations of the world share concerns on many critical issues in such a way that communication and collaboration are important skills for the 21st century (Trilling and Fadel 2009). Hence, connecting global issues to the mathematics classroom is important. Through such learning experiences, students can appreciate that mathematics has a special…