A Slinky is a loose helical coil spring and is a well-known educational toy. In this paper a model for a Slinky is presented. The Slinky is represented as a sequence of rigid half coils connected by torsional springs. A range of Slinky configurations in static equilibrium are calculated. Where possible the torsion spring model is compared with the…

Mechanical engineering students often find the formulation and analysis of dynamical systems difficult. The response of some mechanical engineering undergraduates is that as much as possible courses on mechanics are best avoided. The aim of this paper is to produce some interesting dynamical systems that may help to change the opinions of the…

In this paper a class of regular surfaces, generated by rotation and twist of a rigid line segment, is considered. Firstly a complete description of those surfaces by means of local charts is obtained and then its orientability is characterized in terms of the number of half-twists, taking into account their direction (clockwise or…

This study investigates the pedagogical skills and knowledge of three tertiary-level mathematics support tutors in a large group classroom setting. This is achieved through the use of video analysis and a theoretical framework comprising Rowland's Knowledge Quartet and general pedagogical knowledge. The study reports on the findings in relation to…

To ensure the competitiveness of the USA in the global economy, and its role as a leader in science and engineering, it is important to cultivate the next generation of home grown mathematicians. However, while universities across the USA offer calculus classes to thousands of undergraduate students each year, very few of them go on to major in…

Little has been explored with regard to introducing historical aspects in the undergraduate statistics classroom in engineering studies. This article focuses on the design, implementation and assessment of a specific activity concerning the introduction of the normal probability curve and related aspects from a historical dimension. Following a…

We outline the systemic integration and use of evolving technologies by two mathematics departments, the one in a Faculty of Engineering (in Hungary), the other in a Faculty of Mathematics and Science (in Canada). Clearly these two departments play very different roles in their institutions. In one case, the students are at the university to study…

The boundary element method provides an excellent platform for learning and teaching a computational method for solving problems in physical and engineering science. However, it is often left out in many undergraduate courses as its implementation is deemed to be difficult. This is partly due to the perception that coding the method requires…