Bringing back the people in modelling epidemics

Abstract

The emergence of COVID-19 favoured the development at Université de Montréal of an educational initiative aimed at promoting modelling and simulation in teaching and learning postsecondary mathematics. In our learning activities, modelling is not reduced to curve fitting; software is used and questions are asked to get a deeper understanding of the structure of a situation. In particular, compartmental epidemiological models were the topic of activities using digital tools (Insight Maker and Excel) that generated interest among teachers and students. With the possibilities offered by such tools of reflecting more adequately the complexity of the situation, we considered it relevant to model the perceptions related to significant effects of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) as well as the apparent social divide in behaviours regarding mandated measures and its effect on the epidemic. A study carried out on these aspects, based on data collected in Québec, led us to develop a new model which could form the basis for a new activity and be explored and further refined by students. This work leads to considering a social dimension to the teaching of modelling with differential equations and to include this teaching in the development of critical thinking.

KEYWORDS:

• Differential equations
• mathematical modelling
• socio-scientific issues
• critical citizenship
• mathematics education
• Insight Maker

MSC:

• 97M10

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 The Collège d’enseignement général et professionel (CEGEP) level is an intermediate educational level in Québec, between secondary and university, that encompasses in its 2-year pre-university programs Grade 12 and Grade 13. For students in STEM, health sciences, business studies and social sciences with mathematics, the mathematics studied at that level include calculus, linear algebra, probability, and statistics.

2 Available at: https://www.viamath.org/santeateliers

3 Available at: https://www.viamath.org/ideesdeprojetsintegrateurs

4 The free web-based software is accessible through the website: www.insightmaker.com.

5 Tutorials and a user manual are provided on the help page: https://insightmaker.com/help

6 Readers can get a detailed view of the model by accessing it on the web (https://insightmaker.com/insight/41Hhscqt4UOzBjv7RpOi2A/S2EIAHDR-v8-E) and by clicking on the different elements (stocks, flows, variables and converters) of the diagram.

Additional information

Funding

The research of Jacques Bélair is part of the Mathematics for Public Health (MfPH) and One Health Modelling Network for Emerging Infections (OMNI) programmes funded by the Canadian Network for Research and Innovation in Machining Technology, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.