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• The transition problem in Hungary: curricular approach

  1-16

  Éva Erdélyi

  András Dukán

  Csaba Szabó

  Views:

  110

  The curricular background of the transition problem from highschool to universty is analysed in Hungary. While students finish their mathematical studies successfully at highschool, pass their final exams, this knowledge seems to disappear at their first year at university. We investigate the mathematical knowledge expected by the Hungarian universities and compare it to expectations of the National Core Curriculum. Based on the levelling tests of four universities we created a seven problem test for highschool students containing very basic problems required both by the universities and the National Core Curriculum. We analyse the results of the test.

  Subject Classification: D34, D35

• The time spent on board games pays off: links between board game playing and competency motivation

  119-131

  András Ferenc Dukán

  Katalin Fried

  Csaba Szabó

  Views:

  110

  The impact playing has on the development of thinking is an important topic of psychology of learning, brain research and mathematics didactics.
  Our research is also connected to the aforementioned topic. We investigated the effects of playing board games on competence motivation and the development of mathematical competencies.
  In this paper, we present the results of an experiment carried out in a secondary school class.
  The experimental group spent one of three weekly mathematics lessons playing board games.
  Apart from the several advantages of playing games in general, we can conclude that, based on the results of the national competence measurement, the mathematical competence of the students developed properly.
  The readiness and the progress of the pupils were compared on the basis of input and output tests and an initial knowledge measurement and, at the same time, we compared their level of mathematical competence with the results of the national competence
  measurement.

  Subject Classification: 97C70, 97D40

• Number theory vs. Hungarian highschool textbooks: √2 is irrational

  139-152

  Petra Csányi

  Kata Fábián

  Csaba Szabó

  Zsanett Szabó

  Éva Vásárhelyi

  Views:

  7

  According to the Hungarian National Curriculum the proof of the irrationality of √2 is considered in grade 10. We analyze the standard proofs from the textbooks and give some mathematical arguments that those reasonings are neither appropriate nor sufficient. We suggest that the proof should involve the fundamental theorem of arithmetic.

• Number theory vs. Hungarian high school textbooks: the fundamental theorem of arithmetic

  209-223

  Petra Csányi

  Kata Fábián

  Csaba Szabó

  Zsanett Szabó

  Views:

  6

  We investigate how Hungarian highschool textbooks handle basic notions and terms of number theory. We concentrate on the presentation of the fundamental theorem of arithmetic, the least common multiple and greatest common divisor. Eight families of textbooks is analyzed. We made interviews with the authors of four of them. We conclude that a slightly more precise introduction would not be harmful for pupils and could bring basic number theory closer to them.

• Dressed up problems - the danger of picking the inappropriate dress

  77-94

  Anna Muzsnay

  Csaba Szabó

  Views:

  4

  Modelling and dressed-up problems play an inevitably unavoidable role in mathematics education. In this study we would like to point out how dangerous is it to dress up mathematical problems. We go back to the principle of De Lange: The problem designer is not only dressing up the problem, but he is the solution designer, as well. We show three examples selected from Hungarian high school textbooks where the intended solution does not solve the problem, because the dressing changes the context and changes the problem itself.

• Teaching Java programming using case studies

  245-256

  Zoltán Juhász

  Marián Juhás

  Ladislav Samuelis

  Csaba Szabó

  Views:

  2

  The paper deals with the technical background and the pedagogical issues of a specific implementation for the collection, assessment and archiving of the students' assignments written in Java. The implemented system automatically applies object-oriented metrics on the collected works in order to measure the characteristic features of the assignments. Tutors use these results for the detection of plagiarisms and for the selection of outstanding works. The paper interprets the measured values within a real Java course held in the 3rd term of the Informatics bachelor study programme at the technical university. Students have several case studies devoted to the simulation of the ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) at disposal. We conclude that the access to the analyzed pool of case studies, blended with the Sun Learning Connection license from the Sun Microsystems, Inc., is an effective way of teaching programming in Java.

• Mathematics in Good Will Hunting II: problems from the students perspective

  3-19

  Gábor Horváth

  József Korándi

  Csaba Szabó

  Views:

  7

  This is the second part of a three paper long series exploring the role of mathematicians and of the mathematical content occurring in popular media. In particular we analyze the drama film Good Will Hunting. Here we investigate the mathematical content of the movie by considering the problems appearing in it. We examine how a mathematician or a mathematics student would solve these problems. Moreover, we review how these problems could be integrated into the higher education of Hungary.