| Abstract: | It is a widespread opinion among engineering faculty that undergraduates could be better prepared in mathematics when taking courses in their professional field of study. The lack of preparation in applying mathematical concepts may be due to the fact that examples from engineering disciplines are not widely used in mathematics courses. Most mathematics departments act as service departments to students majoring in various fields in addition to providing their own degree programs. As a result, it is not economically justifiable for them to custom tailor courses for customers from different disciplines. On the other hand, engineering has a distinct requirement of creatively applying mathematical concepts and principles to engineering problems studied in various courses. Some of the issues that must be addressed to ensure adequate preparation in the application of mathematics include: the mathematical competencies needed in engineering courses; which mathematics courses should cover such competencies; and what examples and problems related to students' major field should be developed and taught in these courses to enhance understanding and application of these concepts. The goal of this paper is not to resolve these issues, but rather to develop a conceptual framework for determining the answers using the Quality Function Deployment approach. |
