CiviMatics – Interdisciplinary mathematic modeling meets civic education Erasmus Project

Project Title

CiviMatics – Interdisciplinary mathematic modeling meets civic education

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Environment and climate change; Overcoming skills mismatches (basic/transversal)

Project Summary

The aim of the “CiviMatics” project is to develop materials for mathematical modelling of political (especially social and ecological) issues, especially in teacher training. Modelling is understood here as the application of mathematics to reality and is one of the educational goals in schools and universities. At present, mathematical education ignores the social importance of assumptions and simplifications in modelling. Similarly, in political education the mathematical background of modelling is not adequately reflected, so that the significance of such assumptions and simplifications is not recognised, alternative modelling is not apparent and results often have to be understood as unquestionable facts. Without a reflection on the role and impact of certain assumptions, the results of the modelling then prove to be mathematically forced by the unambiguous calculation. Possible weightings and value judgements in the modelling remain hidden behind the reduction to the real model. As a result, relevant points for discussion are lost and the societal scope for action can only be insufficiently democratically negotiated.

CiviMatics will therefore develop both a didactic framework for how to deal with these complex and normative models in higher education and concrete scenarios and teaching/learning materials. Current topics from climate and environmental protection will be addressed, e.g. the modelling of CO2 emissions attributable to food. The focus will not be on carrying out mathematical calculations, but on the main assumptions and possible alternatives. By discussing these questions, it will become clear which results from models are generally valid and which results depend essentially on assumptions or points of view. This allows a more qualitative and critical discussion of the social significance of the results. In essence, the awareness of the possibilities and limitations of statements obtained with the help of mathematical models should be sharpened in the context of democratic decision-making. Based on these results, students, but also other multipliers (such as journalists), should be enabled to make normative and complex models discussable for high-school students and citizens.

Both the subject-specific and didactic framework for the development of complex or normative models and the materials are developed cooperatively by experts from mathematics and political science or their didactics and tested in university teaching in various contexts and courses with up to 150 participants per course. This will result in already evaluated materials and a handbook for their use, which will enable teachers at universities to integrate normative modelling into their own teaching concepts. The results will be communicated directly to relevant groups and discussed with them in multiplier events. We are working towards making the project connectable to schools. In the long term, important multipliers (university teachers and pre-service teacher students) will be reached and supported in their education by essential key competences, which they will pass on to future generations.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 336400 Eur

Project Coordinator

GOTTFRIED WILHELM LEIBNIZ UNIVERSITAET HANNOVER & Country: DE

Project Partners

• UNIVERSITATEA BABES BOLYAI
• UNIVERSITAET PADERBORN
• UNIVERSITAT WIEN
• NORGES TEKNISK-NATURVITENSKAPELIGE UNIVERSITET NTNU