GAIMME Time: Assessing Student Modeling Work

Think back to when you first realized that you enjoyed mathematicsĶ For many of us, that enjoyment came from the pursuit of a single correct answer. We take comfort in knowing that if 2x = 10, then x = 5 is correct, and x = 7 is wrong. As a result, grading mathematics is often straightforward. Even on longer problems, there are still only a handful of valid approaches, and they all lead to the same correct solution.

However, when we teach mathematical modeling, the open-ended nature of modeling questions affords students the opportunity to pursue one of many possible solution paths, each with their own degree of merit. While this can be empowering for students, it presents a challenge for us as instructors, opening up a whole host of questions focused on the assessment of mathematical modeling. In this edition of GAIMME Time, we identify some of these questions and offer insights based on our experiences teaching mathematical modeling.