Engineering students understanding mathematics

ESUM (Engineering Students Understanding Mathematics) is a developmental research project at a UK university. The motivating aim is that engineering students should develop a more conceptual understanding of mathematics through their participation in an innovation in teaching. A small research team (the authors) has both studied and contributed to innovation which included small group activity, a variety of forms of questioning, an assessed group project and use of the GeoGebra medium for exploring functions. The main study took place in the academic year 2010-11, but development is ongoing.