Trends in the evolution of models & modeling perspectives on mathematical learning and problem solving

Abstract

In this paper we briefly outline the models and modelling (MM and, rather than being preoccupied with the kind of word problems emphasized in textbooks and standardized tests, we focus on (simulations of) problem solving “in the wild.” Also, we give special attention to the fact that, in a technology-basedage of information, significant changes are occurring in the kinds of “mathematical thinking” that is coming to be needed in the everyday lives of ordinary people in the 21st century—as well as in the lives of productive people in future-oriented fields that are heavy users of mathematics, science, and technology.