Imagination and mathematical creativity in social sciences

Abstract

University has been criticized because of it hasn’t been always linked enough to the society. Also, social sciences have been disapproved because they have been perceived as a boring area, unuseful and memory-based. And third, there has been a traditional separation between Science and Arts into a more and more globalized world, with border issues and teamwork.

Because of that reason, from didactics of social sciences area into the education department of the University Jaume I of Castelló (UJI), a group of professors have started a set of activities and resources in order to bring near Teaching studies and the real classroom. And we have done it from contents of geography, history and art in order to favor a more active and innovative methodology in the environment knowledge and Valencian culture areas.

Resources have been adapted in different ways as a deck of cards, board games and posters. In all of them, we associate mathematical techniques through mathemagic with the contents of geographical features, historical figures, festivities and traditions, or biographies among others, and using different text typologies.

The evaluations show the good climate in the classroom, the autonomy achieved by the students and the utility of the teachings and the competences accomplished. However, students and professors agree with the intensity of the work done, the convenience of lightening the activities and the need of a better coordination between professors of different subjects in the same degree.