Mathematical Modeling at the Center: Understanding Thinking, Learning, and Teaching Across the Educational Spectrum
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Mathematical Modeling at the Center: Understanding Thinking, Learning, and Teaching Across the Educational Spectrum
Mathematical modeling is an important goal of mathematics education; it engages learners in using mathematics to make sense of authentic real-world phenomena. In this talk, I explore how modeling serves not only as an instructional goal, but also as a powerful context for understanding student thinking, designing meaningful learning experiences, and preparing future educators. Drawing on research from undergraduate and teacher education settings, I discuss studies of student thinking in modeling, the implications of a modeling-centered undergraduate curriculum, and efforts to prepare future teachers through modeling-focused experiences. I conclude by considering how data science and artificial intelligence are creating new opportunities and challenges for the future of mathematical modeling education.