Linking mathematics with engineering applications at an early stage – implementation, experimental set-up and evaluation of a pilot project

Abstract

Too difficult, too abstract, too theoretical – many first-year engineering students complain about their mathematics courses. The project MathePraxis aims to resolve this disaffection. It links mathematical methods as they are taught in the first semesters with practical problems from engineering applications – and thereby shall give first-year engineering students a vivid and convincing impression of where they will need mathematics in their later working life. But since real applications usually require more than basic mathematics and first-year engineering students typically are not experienced with construction, mensuration and the use of engineering software, such an approach is hard to realise. In this article, we show that it is possible. We report on the implementation of MathePraxis at Ruhr-Universität Bochum. We describe the set-up and the implementation of a course on designing a mass damper which combines basic mathematical techniques with an impressive experiment. In an accompanying evaluation, we have examined the students' motivation relating to mathematics. This opens up new perspectives how to address the need for a more practically oriented mathematical education in engineering sciences.

Keywords:

• first-year students
• mathematics
• practical orientation
• motivation
• mass damper
• oscillation
• differential equations

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Funding

MathePraxis was supported by Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft and Heinz Nixdorf foundation.

About the authors

Aeneas Rooch has studied mathematics and physics and received his Ph.D. from the Ruhr University Bochum in 2012. He has taught mathematics for engineers and was project leader of MathePraxis. He works as a product manager for a software company specialising in radio production and space systems.

Philipp Junker received his Ph.D. from the Ruhr University Bochum in mechanical engineering with focus on material modelling in continuum mechanics. Since 2011 he is working as PostDoc at the same university where he teaches solid mechanics and finite element technologies for engineers. Additionally, he founded a start-up company providing calculation and simulation services for technical problems.

Jörg Härterich received his Ph.D. from the Free University Berlin. Since 2007, he has been a lecturer of mathematics at the Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, where he teaches mathematics for physicists and engineers. He is one of the project coordinators of Mathe/Plus/Praxis.

Klaus Hackl received his Ph.D. from RWTH Aachen and his venia legendi in mechanics from the Technical University of Graz. From 1989 to 1992 he worked as Feodor-Lynen fellow of the A.v. Humboldt-foundation at the University of Delaware. From 1992 to 1999, he worked as assistant professor and as associate professor at the Technical University of Graz. He has been chair professor for Mechanics of Materials at the Ruhr University Bochum since 1999.