Modern Tools to Teach-Learn-Assess for the Mathematical Subjects in Order to Acquire Important Professional and Practical Skills for the Labour Market OANA MARIA PASTAE Constantin Brancusi University College of Letters and Social Sciences Grivitei Street, 1, Targu Jiu, Gorj ROMANIA oana1978ro@yahoo.com BRANDUSA PREPELITA-RAILEANU University Politehnica of Bucharest Depart. of Communication in Modern Languages Splaiul Indpendentei 313 ROMANIA brandusaraileanu@yahoo.com Abstract: The paper presents some new ideas in teaching mathematics to engineering students at University Po- litehnica of Bucharest. The importance of explaining to the students why knowledge of mathematics is essential for their future practical work is emphasized. Paper notes that mathematics is a language for expressing physical, chemical and engineering laws and general equations should be illustrated by practical numerical examples in order to transfer the surface/atomistic approach to learning to the deep/holistic one. Necessary steps in the manipulation of algebraic equations are highlighted. The authors demonstrate that formal lecturers should be supplemented by compulsory reading, handouts, elements of small group teaching and formative assessment. The analysis of self-assessment forms completed by students shows that they learn physical-chemical concepts much easier than mathematical concepts hence this imposes that every new abstract concept needs to be accompanied by plentiful practical examples. Key–Words: mathematical subjects, teach, learn, assess, atomistic, holistic, engineering, handouts, self-assessment. Typing manuscripts, L A T E X 1 Introduction In writing this paper we start from the remark that in spite of the literature on mathematics and education, there is almost no discourse on the subject of teaching- learning-assessing mathematics. In other words, de- spite the large and often contradictory variety of ap- proaches and attitudes on this topic, there is almost no systematic discussion. Since the subject refers to the most influential change process in our educational systems in the last and coming decades, such lack of discourse can be profoundly detrimental to the very foundations of our society [1]. The prevalence of such recognition is certainly a necessary condition for the mere acknowledgement of the need for discourse. Thus the main aim of this paper is to distinguish be- tween the various and opposed views on mathemat- ics and education stemming from different approaches and attitudes to the subject. The paper uses a didactic approach because teaching learning assessing mathematics can lead to, or ne- cessitates, the introduction of new didactic or teach- ing/learning methods. Active, research-oriented, or constructivist methods of teaching/learning are almost always mentioned in this context [3]. As such it makes another conceptual step beyond the curricular approach since while the first still conceives mathe- matics as a neutral tool in the service of the math- ematical subject or of the prevailing subject matters (which it takes to be unchanged), the didactic con- ception claims to the impossibility or undesirability of such situation. It points to the inevitable or de- sirable change mathematics is bound to, or should, bring about in the teaching/learning of the subject matters. It almost always still presupposes the prevail- ing disciplinary curriculum (with frequent allusions to problem-based interdisciplinary orientation). This ap- proach characterizes the conception of mathematics and education held by most academics and many ex- perts and teachers [2]. Many engineering students think: mathematics is when numbers are put into equations. This statement obviously contains an element of truth. One cannot expect engineering students to perceive mathematics in the same way as professional mathematicians usu- ally do, yet the professional engineer must acquire not only empirical but also abstract understanding of mathematics. It seems that the objective of teach- ing mathematics to engineering students is to find the SELECTED TOPICS in EDUCATION and EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY ISSN: 1792-5061 37 ISBN: 978-960-474-232-5