A Modular Approach to the Teaching of Mathematical Content at Technical Universities

Abstract

A new approach to dividing the mathematical content into partial modules is presented. This allows to compose subjects with mathematical content from such partial modules and flexibly adapt these subjects to the needs of specific study programs at technical universities. The consistent and systematic implementation of this approach in a typical learning management system is described in detail. This approach means significant changes in the massive (or bulk) delivery of knowledge using available information technologies. The main benefits of the presented system consist in the increase the resulting level of knowledge of students along with their satisfaction with the results and the form of their study. The most important changes arising from our approach are the following. First, the study process became distributed in space and in time. Second, it can be piecewise continuous in time, and, since all students can study at their own pace, it runs in multiple individual time scales. The most important change, however, is the shift of the paradigm the educational process from transmissive “teach–learn” to active “study”.