Task of the Week: Height of the Building
Also this week, we would like to introduce you to a task with help of an interview with the task author, Johannes Schürmann. We would like to thank him for creating the task and his time to answer our interview questions.
Task: Height of the Building (task number: 2339)
Determine the height of the Oetker hall! Give the result in meters.
How did you come up with the idea to create this task for MathCityMap? How did you find out about MathCityMap?
In my studies, I became aware of MCM through a seminar I attended. The lecturer, Prof. Dr. Rudolf vom Hofe, told us about the project and so the idea to write a final thesis about the topic was born. As a result, Joerg Zender was invited to Bielefeld University for a lecture and I was able to create a mathtrail with Joerg at the university. When creating the trail and in conversation with Joerg, the idea of using MCM or digital media in teaching was strengthened. Thus, a school near the Bielefeld city center agreed on participating in a study and I was able to create a mathtrail adapted to the class content. So it turned out that I created the task.
Which competencies and topics play a role in solving the task?
The current topic which was taught in class were the intercept theorems. Accordingly, this should also be used in the task. However, the task is not so easy to solve with the intercept theorems, because of the local condition that the height differences are not easy to measure. Therefore, a second approach is given on the measurement and counting of the facade panels of the inner arches. Both approaches come up with a similar result. Space and form are the priority content with the skills problem solving, mathematical modeling as well as formal-technical work.
Have you tested the task with students or received any other feedback on the task?
I tested the task for my survey of the thesis with students, or rather, let the whole trail run by the students. The specification while running was that the students should work on certain tasks. In the evaluation of the individual groups of students, it turned out that not all had decided for this task. Reasons for this would be purely speculative.
