Subject: 5 most critical mathematical concepts

Posted by Louis Macovsky on 12/4/2010
In Reply To:5 most critical mathematical concepts Posted by Louis Macovsky on 12/3/2010

Message:

I don’t think I stated my point well; let me briefly try again.

I would suggest that students should be taught to recognize and discuss the fundamental concepts (relationship between input rate and output rate), the fundamental math, and experience the math (classroom hands-on activities) behind the following graphs. These graphs were generated from a single compartment, first order SD model (one stock, one inflow, one outflow). Missing from this set is exponential growth but the subject was pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics.

From Gallaher, EJ, LM Macovsky, W Wakeland, 2003. The need for system dynamics in biological education: examples from pharmacodynamics. In ( J Hargrove and C Berdanier, eds.) Mathematical Modeling in Nutrition and Toxicology.

From my experience, I can say that students as young as 3rd graders through grade 12 can greatly gain from this exercise particularly if accompanied by hands-on experimentation or other activities.

Louis Macovsky