Teaching Mathematics and Gender at the University Andrea Blunck Department Mathematik Universität Hamburg

Andrea BlunckTeaching Mathematics and Gender2 Outline of the talk  The courses I teach  Aims  Methods  Some courses in detail

Andrea BlunckTeaching Mathematics and Gender3 The courses I teach My professorship: Mathematics & Gender Studies  at the Department of Mathematics  so far: cooperation with the study program “Gender Studies Hamburg” (ending)

Andrea BlunckTeaching Mathematics and Gender4 The courses I teach I teach courses on  mathematics  mathematics and gender, for students of mathematics mathematics education gender studies

Andrea BlunckTeaching Mathematics and Gender5 The courses I teach  Course of lectures „Women in the history of mathematics“  Seminars on topics like „Women in mathematics“, „Mathematics and gender“, etc.  Course „Gender in MIN (=mathematics, informatics, natural sciences)“, joint with Prof. Dr. Ingrid Schirmer (Dept. Informatics)

Andrea BlunckTeaching Mathematics and Gender6 Aims direct, obvious aims:  raise students‘ awareness for „gender and mathematics“, “women and mathematics”, “girls and mathematics”  make the contributions of women to mathematics visible  present female role models  motivate female students

Andrea BlunckTeaching Mathematics and Gender7 Aims more general aims:  help changing the image of mathematics  initialize students’ reflection on mathematics  help students get a personal relationship to mathematics  motivate them to continue their studies

Andrea BlunckTeaching Mathematics and Gender8 The image of mathematics

Andrea BlunckTeaching Mathematics and Gender9 The image of mathematics

Andrea BlunckTeaching Mathematics and Gender10 The image of mathematics mathematics is  many formulas to learn  never changing  not lively  something for nerds and loners  something for boys / men

Andrea BlunckTeaching Mathematics and Gender11 The image of mathematics mathematics is  made by men and women  creative  lively  teamwork  with many different applications  …

Andrea BlunckTeaching Mathematics and Gender12 Methods more general:  look at mathematics from outside, from different points of view  teach (in extra seminars, or integrated in ordinary mathematics courses) topics like interrelations between mathematics and society history of mathematics mathematics in other cultures

Andrea BlunckTeaching Mathematics and Gender13 Methods  use methods that are activating and unusual for mathematics courses, like read and discuss texts discuss on controversial subjects work in small groups let students prepare sessions cooperate with students from other disciplines

Andrea BlunckTeaching Mathematics and Gender14 Some courses in detail Women in the history of mathematics:  Life and work of 12 women mathematicians  Special view on the history of mathematics, history of women's education, history of science and of scientific institutions.

Andrea BlunckTeaching Mathematics and Gender15 Some courses in detail Women in the history of mathematics:  Hypatia (370 – 415)  Emilie du Châtelet (1706 – 1749)  Maria Gaetana Agnesi (1718 – 1799)  Sophie Germain (1776 – 1831)  Mary Somerville (1780 – 1872)  Ada Lovelace (1815 – 1852)  Sofia Kovalevskaya (1850 – 1891)  Christine Ladd-Franklin (1847 – 1930)  Charlotte A. Scott (1858 – 1931)  Grace Chisholm Young (1868 – 1944)  Emmy Noether (1882 – 1935)  Ruth Moufang (1905 – 1977)

Andrea BlunckTeaching Mathematics and Gender16 Some courses in detail Seminars:  Women in mathematics – yesterday and today  Gender and science – an introduction (joint with Dr. Helene Götschel)  Gender and mathematics  Gender, mathematics, and technology  …

Andrea BlunckTeaching Mathematics and Gender17 Some courses in detail Seminar on Women and mathematics Topics:  What is mathematics?  The (male) image of mathematics  History of women’s education  History of mathematics education  Gender-sensitive mathematics teaching  Biographies of women mathematicians  Gender studies and mathematics

Andrea BlunckTeaching Mathematics and Gender18 Some courses in detail Students’ feedback: I liked  “that we discussed a lot and didn’t only let the lecture wash over us”  “participants from different subjects! So interesting discussions came up.”

Andrea BlunckTeaching Mathematics and Gender19 Conclusion Teaching gender topics to students of mathematics  gives the students a new view on their subject new motivation for their subject  encourages female students  helps changing the image of mathematics

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