Matematiska vetenskaper // Mathematical Sciences

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https://odr.chalmers.se/handle/20.500.12380/17

Studerar matematikens strukturer och utvecklar dem för att bättre förstå vår värld, och till nytta för forskning och teknisk utveckling.
De matematiska vetenskaperna utforskar tankens grundläggande begrepp och lagar. De är oumbärliga för modern naturvetenskap och teknik. Även inom andra vetenskaper spelar matematisk och statistisk metodik en alltmer framträdande roll. Matematik är också en vetenskap i sig själv och grundforskning i matematik är en förutsättning för dess många tillämpningar. Institutionen är gemensam för Chalmers tekniska högskola och Göteborgs universitet.

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För forskning och forskningspublikationer, se https://research.chalmers.se/organisation/matematiska-vetenskaper/

Studies mathematical structures, developing them to better understand our world and to benefit from research and technological development.
The mathematical sciences are fundamental and indispensable to a large part of modern science and engineering. Progress in other disciplines is often linked to an increased use of mathematics. Mathematics is also a subject in itself, and fundamental research is a necessary condition for its many applications. The Department is joint for the Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg.

Studying at the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Chalmers

For research and research output, please visit https://research.chalmers.se/en/organization/mathematical-sciences/

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A two-fold analysis of Value Creating Learn- ing
(2024) Meijer, Edvin; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för matematiska vetenskaper; Gerlee, Philip; Gerlee, Philip
Value Creating Learning (VCL) is a pedagogical method, based in entrepreneurial learning, that aims to spark the intrinsic motivation in students by making them par- ticipate in real missions towards external recipients outside their own group, class, or school. In the mission of ”Attefallshuset” the teachers at an upper secondary school in the Gothenburg region wanted to evaluate a progression of VCL missions. The pro- gression lies in the level of foreignness that the external recipient had to the students, and thus how arduous the students experienced, and perceived, it to make and have contact with the external recipient. Through empirical research, the aim of this thesis was to see if a progression would ease the students’ feelings and attitudes towards working with more foreign external recipients. Another aim of this thesis was to the- oretically, and critically, analyse VCL in order to better understand its educational implications and students’ perception of it and their learning. Results from the quantitative data showed no statistically significant difference made by the progression. However, the results from the qualitative data showed that the progression seemed to change the students’ attitude of the external recipients, as well as to improve student-to-student feedback. Two critical investigations of VCL were also carried out, one about the educational functions of VCL in relation to the concept of Bildung. The other one investigates if VCL fits all students and VCL’s relational capacity, analysed through resonance theory. There were three main conclusions. The first was that progression in VCL seemed to ease the interaction with external re- cipients and generate a better climate for student-to-student feedback. The second was that the students generally overcame a feeling of being nervous when they in- teracted with external recipients, which led to that the students felt more self-secure and acquired a higher degree of self-efficacy. The third was that the teacher have to put careful attention to the group dynamics and the personality of the class when deciding the level of external interaction in a VCL mission.
Bridging the Academia-Industry gap: Upskilling engineering students for future work life
(2024) Martinsson, Anna; Jägerström, Emelie; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för matematiska vetenskaper; Gerlee, Philip; Braun, Greta
The industry's skill demand is an emerging issue and concerns about skill gaps have increased worldwide in the past few years. This study focuses particularly on the academia-industry gap, meaning the skills gap between the skills practised in engineering education and the industrial skill demand. Several studies stress the necessity for soft skills and there is an ongoing shift within industry towards softer, value-based, and human-centred skills. Employers look for people that possess interpersonal and social competencies as well as the technical skills and to bridge the gap between industry’s demand and the supply of workforce, upskilling programmes have emerged on the market. While previous studies have primarily focused on skill gaps in general within leadership development or upskilling programmes, this case study, conducted at UNITECH International’s leadership development programme for engineering students, aims to provide insight into the speci c skill gap referred to as the academia-industry gap. Additionally, it seeks to map out the in uencing factors in the design of such upskilling programmes, with a particular focus on didactics. This is essential as previous studies have shown a lack of deeper exploration of the didactical perspective, which is crucial for enhancing e ective learning and development. The study was conducted through observations carried out during two separate weeks of in-person coaching modules, where students received education and coaching aimed for personal growth, enhancing their leadership abilities and equipping them to e ectively navigate future challenges. Surveys were also administered to gather students' perceptions of their previous engineering education and their participation in the program. The case study reveals an existing gap between engineering education and industry skill demand, encompassing four key areas of skills: Creative Thinking, Motivation and Self-awareness, Empathy and Active Listening, and Leadership and Social Influence. Additionally, the study indicates that UNITECH International in general bridges this gap e ectively, with the exception of Creative Thinking, which requires an increased focus. Finally, the study identi es 33 sub-categories of in uencing factors in leadership development programmes, classi ed into six overarching categories: Programme Relevance, Organisation and Structure, Teaching, Social Environment, Fostering Growth, and Working Life Orientation. These ndings can be valuable for educators, coaches, and programme designers to successfully and e ectively equip engineering students with the necessary skills for their future careers.
Characterization of challenging tasks intended for gifted students and what is needed for teachers to provide them
(2023) Ekstrand, Emilia; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för matematiska vetenskaper; Gerlee, Philip; Bengmark, Samuel; Mattson, Linda
Enrichment tasks are often used to stimulate gifted students in school, who most of the time receive too little challenge in their classrooms. These challenging tasks could possibly encourage students to show gifted behavior. To investigate if this is the case, a framework was constructed to determine what stimulates gifted behavior, to analyze if challenging tasks successfully stimulate gifted behavior. In addition, it is known that the reason students often do not receive enough challenge in school is due to teachers not having sufficient time to spare. Therefore, the needs of teachers are also investigated in relation to supporting gifted students. Both perspectives are investigated through semi-structured interviews with upper secondary school teachers in Sweden, all of which had tested at least one challenging task in their classroom prior to the interview. Content analysis was used to analyze these interviews, and was performed twice: Once to analyze if the tasks stimulate gifted behavior, and once to analyze the needs of teachers. It was found that challenging tasks can stimulate gifted behavior, and all tested tasks do so in different ways, however they do not always stimulate all aspects of gifted behavior at the same time. Teachers confirm that they are short on time, and therefore wish for ways to quickly find tasks that are appropriate for these students. The most important thing was being able to find them based on course and subject area. In addition, teachers value student hints being coupled together with the tasks, as well as clear proposed solutions. Lastly, it may be important to have a variety of difficulties of tasks to be able to meet the needs of different students, such as underperforming and high achieving gifted students.
Development of Mathematics Support Lessons Based on Student and Teacher Perspectives
(2024) Windestål, Mikaela; Ansgar, Sofie; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för matematiska vetenskaper; Gerlee, Philip; Ander, Mats
The purpose of this study is to map the perceptions and experiences of students and teachers regarding the mathematics support provided at an industrial and technical upper secondary school in Sweden. By collecting and analyzing feedback from these groups, the research aims to identify and propose improvements to the mathematics support. The study utilizes a combination of surveys targeted at all students and teachers, as well as in-depth interviews with mathematics teachers to understand their work processes. Flowcharts depicting identified areas for development have been created to support the school’s strategic decision-making. Based on these flowcharts, further literature has been explored to strengthen the development proposals. These proposals were then discussed in focus groups consisting of mathematics teachers and students who have participated in the support lessons. The results indicate that although the current mathematics support lessons are functional, there are significant opportunities for development that could benefit both students and teachers. To improve communication and efficiency, the introduction of organized handover meetings between mathematics teachers is recommended. Such meetings would not only facilitate information exchange but also strengthen collaboration between teachers. Additionally, students indicate that a varied lesson layout would increase their motivation to participate in the compulsory mathematics support sessions. The proposed improvements are small in scope but expected to have a significant impact. By implementing these changes, where many development areas are interdependent, a series of positive changes can be initiated over time. Promoting increased cooperation and communication among mathematics teachers is crucial and is considered a fundamental factor for the positive development of mathematics support sessions.
Difficulties in mathematics among students with Swedish as a second language: Teachers‘ views on difficulties, causes, and measures in mathematics in Swedish lower secondary school, with a focus on students with Swedish as their second language
(2022) Hanoun Santana, Daniella; Törnqvist, Johanna; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för matematiska vetenskaper; Gerlee, Philip; Arfs, Mona
In the media, news has highlighted that Sweden has performed worse in PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) over the years compared to other countries. Statistics of Sweden’s results of mathematics in PISA and National Tests show that students with a language other than Swedish as their mother tongue generally perform with a lower result compared to the students with Swedish as their mother tongue. The study aims to investigate the understanding of mathematics among students with Swedish as a second language who study mathematics with Swedish as the language of instruction. The chosen method for this study is qualitative interviews, including seven respondents teaching mathematics at five Swedish lower secondary schools. Via the insight of the teachers’ perspective, this study answers the following questions; What specific difficulties do students with Swedish as a second language encounter in mathematics teaching? What factors contribute to the difficulties in mathematics learning that students with Swedish as a second language encounter? How do mathematics teachers in lower secondary schools work to make it easier for students with Swedish as a second language who have difficulties? The study is based on the sociocultural perspective which implies that students learn through interaction with each other so that learning takes place in social contexts. language comprehension; problem-solving tasks, mathematical concepts, reasoning, and This study shows that students with Swedish as a second language (SVA) encounter difficulties connected to communication. The causes of these difficulties according to the respondents are language comprehension, cultural differences, prior knowledge, and poor study technique. Common measures to facilitate the SVA students’ learning in mathematics are interaction, support in the mother tongue, image support, paying attention to the student’s culture, and increasing reading comprehension. These results are relevant for mathematics teachers who teach SVA students. By understanding the basic problem of the difficulties, teachers can take the right action and thus provide an equivalent education.
Environmental Impact of Food with an Interactive Data Visualization Exhibit: A study of Universeum’s visitors’ perceptions and experienced learning when using visualization exhibits about sustainable food consumption
(2022) Liderfors, Malou; Lövgren, Sandra; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för matematiska vetenskaper; Gerlee, Philip; Pareto, Lena
The climate is changing, and many commitments must be made to slow down that change. However, many people seem to not know how big the environmental impacts of food are, and what environmentally-friendly food is. At the same time, the visu- alization of data is becoming a popular tool for educating people. The science center Universeum in Gothenburg has opened a new public visualization exhibition called Vislab, focusing on sustainable development and what impact different choices have on our planet. This study is based on a climate-smart visualization exhibit about food consumption at Vislab, and aims to investigate the role a visualization exhibit can play in educating the public about different foods’ environmental impact. Many participants believed locally produced food to be environmentally friendly, and seemed to know how to reduce their environmental impact from food con- sumption but choose not to. 47.1 % of the participants appeared to have problems interpreting the data visualizations, with no significant differences between genders, ages, or educational backgrounds. The males were significantly better at choos- ing environmentally friendly food than the females were, but no similar differences were found between participants of different ages or educational backgrounds. Most participants seemed to learn about specific food items’ environmental impact and 19.6 % commented on how they should change their diet, indicating deeper learn- ing. These findings support the idea of visualization being suitable for educating people regardless of their background about climate change, but it is important to continuously identify and correct eventual deceptive features which can jeopardize the exhibit’s purpose.
Exploring Factors Impacting Engineering Identity Among Students
(2024) Chouha, Leonardo; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för matematiska vetenskaper; Gerlee, Philip; Anders, Johansson
We are living in a society where products and services are becoming more complex which implies that jobs require a deeper understanding and higher level of compe- tence. Over time the social and cultural expectation in pursuing higher education has also changed where many younger people are encouraged to pursue higher ed- ucation as it is known to increases personal and economical success and stability. In Sweden and other countries, concerns are often raised about the number and trajectories of students enrolled in engineering education. In research on engineering education, engineering identity has become a central concept for understanding students’ relations to engineering. This refers to how individuals see themselves as engineers and involves the internalization of the roles, skills, and values associated with the engineering profession. Fostering a strong en- gineering identity among students can make a positive impact on future engineering workforce, enhance the country’s technical knowledge and its global competitiveness. For this study, a survey was conducted with 359 students enrolled in their first to third academic year at Chalmers University of Technology. The aim of the study was to identify the factors that shape the students’ engineering identity and influence their choice of engineering program at Chalmers. The results suggests that the engineering students’ background, field of study, gender, and year of study does have an influence on their relationship to engineering. A key finding in this study was the correlation between students with at least one parent with STEM background and their self perception of engineering identity, where it was found that students with parental STEM background had stronger engineering identity and sense of belonging in the field. This implies that universities need to enhance inclusion strategies and develop relation to engineering for all students, regardless of their background. Future research suggestions based on these findings are presented in the discussion and analysis chapter.
Factors influencing whether students choose STEM high school programs: a quantitative study of a selection of factors
(2023) Marcus, Landahl; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för matematiska vetenskaper; Gerlee, Philip; Johansson, Anders
In this study, several factors that may influence a student's choice of pursuing a STEM high school program was studied. The factors studied are some of those identified and studied in previous research in this field. A survey was conducted with students in grade 9 in five different schools. The data collected was analysed and statistical methods were applied to find possible correlations and effect sizes. The results showed that parental educational background could not be shown to have a statistically significant effect. Self-efficacy was found to be the strongest influence in terms of difference in means and effect size. Other factors that were studied and found to be significant were gender, interest in STEM subjects in school as well as other STEM topics, attitude towards STEM education and science & technology in society and lastly a student's future desired profession.
Frequent Passing Grade-tests
(2024) Svensson, Åke; Vesterberg, Filip; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för matematiska vetenskaper; Gerlee, Philip; Bengmark, Samuel
This study explores the impacts of Frequent Passing Grade-tests (FPG-tests) on student well-being, learning outcomes, and teacher’s time-commitment, possibili- ties for student follow-up and in adaptations to the curriculum. The results suggest that FPG-tests primarily reduce student stress by improving their awareness of their own knowledge levels, particularly reducing stress before chapter-tests. However, a subset of students, primarily students near, or with C as a course-grade, report in- creased stress during lessons due to FPG-tests. The way teachers communicate, and present FPG-tests could influences students’ at- titudes towards these assessments, impacting their stress levels, self-confidence, and motivation. Although a small percentage of students (8.6%) experience decreased self-confidence due to FPG-tests. Mainly, from failing the tests, even though a ma- jority of those who have failed FPG-tests do not report a reduction in self-confidence. Importantly, FPG-tests motivate a significant portion of students (37.9%) to study more, leading to enhanced learning outcomes. A large majority (80.1%) perceive a positive impact on learning, were many refer to increased awareness of their knowl- edge strengths and weaknesses. The tests encourage distributed practice and prac- tice testing, both recognized methods for improving learning. However, despite these benefits, the format of FPG-tests divides the subject areas into small parts which could potentially hinder students to perform well on more comprehensive tests. Fur- thermore, the tests probably do not provide a comprehensive basis for grading, which can be problematic if student groups are solely assessed based on FPG-tests. Overall, FPG tests provide valuable feedback to both students and teachers, help- ing to guide learning focus and contribute to a foundational understanding of the subject matter. This is crucial for overall academic success.
How do organizations evaluate their training in 2022? Studying the prevalence of Kirkpatricks four levels of training evaluation
(2022) Ahlkvist, Jack; Larsson, David; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för matematiska vetenskaper; Philip, Gerlee; O'Conell, Michael
Learning technology has been on the rise in recent years, a rise that was further accelerated by the covid-19 pandemic. This has lead to unprecedented growth of educational technology companies who focus on digital learning solutions. Imple- menting digital learning in an effective way is no trivial task and the need to evaluate training programs to find out what does and does not work is imperative. A popular model for evaluating training is presented by Kirkpatrick. With his model as a base, this thesis investigates to what extent learning professionals actually evaluate their training programs. Knowly is one of many companies focused on helping other organizations with struc- turing their digital training programs by using their platform. By analyzing course data from the Knowly platform, the goal is to find out if there are factors that affect the habits of evaluation in courses. Studies investigating evaluation habits of learning professional are a limited quantity and most studies that exist are based on surveys rather than analyzing individual courses which gives this thesis a unique approach. The results mainly confirms that customer satisfaction is the most com- mon way of evaluating training and that usage the Knowly platform did not seem to impact the likelihood of evaluating training programs. The results suggest that further research into the motivation behind evaluating training is needed.
How is Physics Hard?
(2024) Bento Hansson, Beatriz; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för matematiska vetenskaper; Gerlee, Philip; Johansson, Anders; Adawi, Tom
Physics is commonly presented as a difficult subject. The reasons for why this view is held among upper secondary school physics pupils and university students has previously been investigated. However, what narratives around physics and its diffi- culties exists among pupils before embarking on post-compulsory studies in physics is a less explored area. The aim for this study was to explore how upper secondary school pupils discuss physics and what narratives about it being a difficult sub- ject they partake in. This was done through the use of semi-structured individual interviews. Ten pupils were interviewed. The results indicate that the pupils in- terviewed largely construct their understanding of physics through the positioning of physics against other subjects and how other people relate to it. Through this positioning, physics mostly becomes a subject that is largely constructed as being complex, distant, vague and only for those who get it. However, certain attributes assigned to physics do not lead to it being a difficult subject. This mostly occurred in the positioning of physics against mathematics. The results indicate that multiple narratives about physics commonly reported among university students also exist among upper secondary school pupils. This implies that pupils are introduced to common narratives about physics early in their education, which risks affecting who chooses to pursue post-compulsory studies in physics.
How to bring the subject closer to the student
(2024) Svensson, Kalle; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för matematiska vetenskaper; Gerlee, Philip; Adawi, Tom; Ask, Eva
The 2019 TIMSS survey showed that a large share of Swedish year 8 students have negative attitudes towards science. Skolverket suggests that this could be coun- teracted by the use of a scientific literacy perspective in instruction, a perspective stating that general science education should educate students for everyday life rather than specific scientific careers. Surveys have shown that this is a perspective that few teachers seem to embrace fully. Other sources suggest that demonstration and laboratory work could be used to improve student attitudes towards science. This thesis develops a guide aimed towards science teachers, that guides in scientific literacy and its application, and argues for, and encourages the use of, demonstra- tions and experiments to improve student attitudes towards science. The use of scientific literacy as a basis for instruction is argued for from the perspectives of the current curriculum Gy11, science use in everyday life, democratic values, cognitive theories for learning and instruction, and the interest and motivation of students. The guide encourages connecting science to relevant societal concepts and popu- lar culture where science is an integral part. Possible connections are exemplified through the subject of radiation in the course Physics 1a. The guide promotes a scientific literacy perspective in science education and is hoped to lay the ground- work for improved student attitudes towards science. Additionally, the scientific literacy approach is argued to ease understanding, aid retention, and help students understand the world they inhabit. From an ethical perspective, this approach has an inherent benefit to students’ ability to understand societal questions, and in turn their ability to participate in democratic decisions as well-informed citizens.
Infusing entrepreneurship in engineering education: Perceptions across campus
(2017) Palmquist, Elina; Toivonen, Sofia; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för matematiska vetenskaper; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Mathematical Sciences
The number of educational change processes aiming to infuse entrepreneurship in engineering education is increasing. Since these initiatives are a relatively new trend, it is interesting and necessary to understand different perceptions of entrepreneurship, especially among the central participants of the educational process. Accordingly, the aim of this study is to, through a qualitative method, investigate the existing perceptions of entrepreneurship as well as of entrepreneurship in engineering education among teachers and students from the bachelor programmes Bioengineering and Engineering Mathematics at Chalmers University of Technology. Eight semistructured interviews - four with teachers and four with students - were conducted and analysed using an inductive thematic approach. On the basis of these interviews, four different themes emerged: 1) entrepreneurship is associated with traits ascribed to a certain type of personality, 2) entrepreneurship is associated with the initial phase of starting up businesses, 3) entrepreneurship is associated with process management, and 4) entrepreneurship and basic research are perceived as hard to unify. The ability to learn how to become more entrepreneurial within the existing engineering education appears to depend on one’s view of entrepreneurship. The most decisive factor for this is the perceived attainability of one’s own image of the entrepreneur. Additionally, teachers and students do not seem to have a very clear image of how entrepreneurship is learnt, independent of one’s view of entrepreneurship. All in all, there exists a lot of different - and sometimes strong - perceptions of entrepreneurship and what entrepreneurship in engineering education is or could be. These perceptions will unavoidably influence the initiatives of infusing entrepreneurship in engineering education. In order to fully understand the preconditions for such educational change processes, these perceptions are an important factor to consider.
Internal education in the chemical industry, with a focus on legal compliance and active learning - the case of INEOS Inovyn
(2023) Svenungsson, Frida; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för matematiska vetenskaper; Gerlee, Philip; Svanström, Magdalena
Education is a broad concept, that is used in all different organizations, in different forms. It is not only an important and effective tool to use when introducing new employees, but is also demanded for certain processes or tasks. These demands are mentioned in different legal requirements, which not least affect chemical industries, whose operations involve many risks and therefore high safety requirements. The aim of this study was to the investigate the chemical company INEOS Inovyn’s education, from two perspectives. The first perspective concerns the company’s compliance with legal requirements, that belong to their Environment, Work En- vironment and Process Security departments, specifically within their education. The second perspective instead concerns the company’s internal education. The internal education was examined to investigate their use of the learning method called active learning, to provide the company with suggestions for improvements. These improvements will regard both legal compliance and the use of active learning. In order to conduct the study, necessary methods were developed to investigate the compliance with the law and the use of active learning. These methods were also developed with the aim of making the research usable for future, similar studies. The study resulted in a number of legal requirements having a certain or complete lack of legal compliance, within the company’s educational courses. Success factors for compliance with legal requirements were identified, both based on the text and structure of the legal requirements and perceived importance of the requirements within the company. In the investigation of the use of active learning, the results showed that the use of active learning was relatively low and could be developed to make learning processes more efficient. The conclusions of this study include, among other things, a few suggestions that could lead to a higher level of legal compliance. For example, to use more consistent references to the requirements in the company’s educational material to ensure that all requirements are complied with. Further, the study identified a need for the use of active learning to a greater extent. Other active elements, or a higher frequency of the elements that are already used, could lead to more effective education and an increased learning at the company.
Learning in visualization exhibits :The general public’s learning about space through visual data exploration in science museums
(2022) Petterson, Isak; Söderberg, Maria; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för matematiska vetenskaper; Gerlee, Philip; Pareto, Lena
Digital visualization tools are entering the arena of educating the general public in museums. The science museum Universeum in Gothenburg has utilized this technology in building a visualization lab with the aim of accelerating learning. This thesis examines one exhibit in the visualization lab which concerns space-data- exploration. The questions examined are the following: Do learning take place when visitors explore this exhibit? And in that case: How does that learning take place? To examine learning, visitors’ conversations are studied in a field experiment, during their exploration of the exhibit. The conversations are recorded and analysed according to what type of talk visitors use and what subject content it concerns. The results show that on average 72% of visitors’ talk at the exhibit concern learning, spanning the range of 40–90% between visitors. There is however a moderate amount of talk regarding confusion over the interface, especially among those visitors with a smaller percentage of learning talk, which raises concerns about how visitors would interact with the system when unsupervised. Thus the first conclusion of the study is that learning do take place, but to a varying degree. The second conclusion is that learning in the exhibit may be described as mainly consisting of answering and asking questions, connecting new information to pre- vious knowledge and interacting with the visual information of the exhibit. The most common subject content that the learning concern are the planets in our solar system and the universe as a whole, which may be seen to be content that are both familiar and intriguing.
Learning with an educational mathematical game at a science center
(2024) Thilén, Teresia; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för matematiska vetenskaper; Gerlee, Philip; Pareto, Lena
Science centers are used as a way of creating easily relatable and authentic learning settings. The science center of Universeum in Gothenburg has developed their new mathematical exhibition Mathrix with the purpose of lowering visitor thresholds to mathematics. This study investigates one of the exhibits of Mathrix, the exhibit named Voronoi, which is designed as a collaborative and exploratory educational game based on the mathematical model describing the formation of Voronoi diagrams. The questions investigated are: What types of embodied conversations emerge when visitors are interacting with the exhibit? What learning opportunities can be identified during these conversations? And, do the identified learning opportunities align with the intentions of the exhibit designers? The results show that 73,0% of the utterances made by the studied visitors are connected to learning talk, either to explicit mathematical talk or to talk concerning the mechanics of the game. 11,8% of the utterances are connected to different kinds of problems in relation to the exhibit system, and 15,2% are connected to affective talk. The study concludes that the exhibit nurtured fruitful conversations and learning processes where the participants were given the opportunities to practice and assimilate the knowledge and the skills that the game was designed to foster. The study also concludes that the results align with the intentions of the exhibit designers, where the aim was to create a successful educational game where the mathematical content was well integrated into the game without interrupting the fun.
Lesson Design and Evaluation of Programming in Mathematics Education: A Study of Experiences and Opinions about Using Programming for Teaching Integral Concepts in a High School Setting
(2022) Ericson, Vidar; Jaweer, Mohammad Fuad; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för matematiska vetenskaper; Gerlee, Philip; Imberg, Henrik
Programming has been known to be an effective tool for mathematical problem solving since the advent of computers and programming. Dramatic developments in digital technology and computers as well as the fourth industrial revolution has led to a demand for employees with increased digital competence across varying fields, which has prompted educational institutions to adapt. Consequently, many countries in the EU were motivated to start using programming in mathematics teaching and therefore there is a need to know how programming can become an efficient part of mathematics education. This study investigates how programming can be integrated in mathematics to teach concepts of integrals. It was implemented by creating, conducting and evaluating two lessons where programming was used as a means for teaching students about two aspects of integrals, namely the fundamental theorem of calculus, and solids of revolution. Data was gathered through a survey among participating students and interviews with both students and teachers in conjunction with the eleven lessons that were held. It was found that in this context, programming can be valuable by deepening understanding and facilitating work while challenges arise in the form of increased cognitive load, unclear purpose and varying knowledge. Previous experience of programming correlated with finding the code easy to use and the programming enjoying, as well as a small positive correlation with learning something that would have been harder without programming.
Movements and behaviors in exhibition spaces: an exploratory case study in a science center
(2023) Hilda, Alfredsson; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för matematiska vetenskaper; Philip, Gerlee; Lena, Pareto
Science centers are informal learning environments where the visitors are in charge of their own learning process. This makes exhibition design a complex task that requires knowledge of what attracts visitors to interact with exhibits (and thereby, learn). From previous studies it is known that exhibition design may affect both movement and attention among visitors. However, little is known when it comes to the design of contemporary exhibitions in science centers.This exploratory case study, conducted at the mathematical exhibition Mathrix at Universeum in Gothenburg, aims at improving the understanding of what affects visitors’ movements and behaviors in an interactive exhibition. Based on the three perspectives; design, use and theory, the correlation between the visitors’ actual behavior and the exhibition design intentions were examined at both a structural level (layout and composition of exhibits) and an object level (exhibit design). To retrieve data of the visitors ́movements, interactions and exhibit attractiveness, field observations were performed at the exhibition and the visitors were asked to fill out a questionnaire. Thereafter, interviews were conducted with the designers in order to understand their intentions with the exhibition space at both a structural and an object level. The user and design perspectives were then analyzed inductively, with inspiration from the grounded theory method, in order to search for themes and patterns regarding the visitors ́ movements and behaviors. The result from the inductive analysis was then compared with a spatial analysis (Space Syntax) at a structural level and with theories of attention and motivation at an object level. The case study shows that exhibition design is a complex process, with difficulties to predict attraction to specific exhibits. The study also shows that it is not possible to rely solely on theoretical models. Visitors’ decisions to interact with exhibits are influenced by the exhibition design at a structural level but also by several factors related to personal, social and physical aspects. These aspects may be more or less conscious. A three layered model, with personal, social and physical aspects, is formulated in the study (based on the empirical data and motivated by existing theories). The model may be a helpful tool in order to understand these three aspects. It may be used both for evaluation of existing designs but also as a design tool during a creative process. By combining theoretical prediction models such as Space Syntax with the three layered model exhibition, designers can get a better understanding of visitors movements and behaviors.
Operator Training in Virtual Reality
(2023) Gästrin, Jacob; Winald, Alexander; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för matematiska vetenskaper; Gerlee, Philip; Braun, Greta
A new industry in battery manufacturing is rapidly growing. The demand for people to join these workforces is huge. For the companies to have a qualified workforce the employees have to get training before starting their new work. In this thesis a study has been conducted to find out how the training of operators is conducted today and what difficulties are existing. A theoretical study has also been conducted on how virtual reality could be used in training these operators. The aim of the study is to give suggestions on how virtual reality can be used in an effective way during the training. To help doing this challenges in the education and training as well as advantages and disadvantages were identified. A literature study was conducted as well as a interview study with people in the industry and people in some way involved or previously involved in the training. Through the literature study an overview of virtual reality was obtained while the interview study provided the necessary information about the training. From the interviews four themes was identified. These were Education/training, difficulties, needs and virtual reality. The conclusion was that virtual reality could be a good complement to the existing training and not a substitute. It could be a good option for operators to get hours into practical training. It could also provide an understanding of safety by letting them experience consequences of their actions. Apart from giving the operators more experience and knowledge it could as well be economically beneficial with less material waste.
Optimizing onboarding: strategies for integrating new engineers
(2023) Elvira, Arnstrand; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för matematiska vetenskaper; Gerlee, Philip; Stöhr, Christian; O'Connell, Michael
We can all recognize the situation of being new at a job, feeling nervous and excited at the same time. The onboarding process of a new hire can either be well-managed and a quick way to achieve employee contribution, or an inefficient and costly entry. Many engineers enter organizations without the experience to locate their technical knowledge. This often results in anxiety and uncertainty regarding their roles, tasks, and carer prospects. Onboarding has shown to be a critical factor for organizational commitment, long-term performance, job satisfaction, and intentions to remain. Therefore, this case study aims to identify different key factors for a successful onboarding process for new engineers. The research was set out to answer how their current onboarding process was organized, any issues that arose, and possible actions that could be implemented to improve their onboarding and make it more customized after each department and role. The study was conducted by qualitative semi-structured interviews with managers and new engineers in three technology departments in a refinery based in Swe- den. By comparing a theoretical framework of organizational socialization with the manager’s and the employees’ ideas, several recommendations were presented. The results showed that the department that had the biggest need of improvement also had the most individual approach, where a mix of institutional and individual tactics seemed to be the most effective way to onboard new engineers. The two information types and adjustment indicators that seemed to be the most important during this study were referent information (role clarity) and relational information (social acceptance). Social aspects and relationship-building were considered to be extra important where the most satisfying learning experience came from forming a mentoring relationship. In addition to this, a customized and role-specific education plan for onboarding was designed to clarify what knowledge is required for different facilities at the refinery. This was also showed to increase the use of institutional tactics and strengthen the role clarity.

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Browsar Matematiska vetenskaper // Mathematical Sciences efter Program "Learning and leadership (MPLOL), MSc"

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