Plenary Lecture

Case study as a teaching tool for analysis of real-world problems: applications of mathematics in engineering and business education

Professor Andrei Kolyshkin
Department of Engineering Mathematics and Riga Business School
Riga Technical University
Latvia
andrejs.koliskins@rbs.lv

Abstract: Case study method is widely used in many business and law schools around the world to teach students about their fields using real-world business situations known as cases. The case method develops students’ analytic and problem-solving skills. It is usually focused on an interest-arousing situation and stimulates students’ active learning and participation. However, the case study method is not so widely used in engineering education.
In the present paper we discuss some issues related to the use of mathematics as a tool for analysis of real-world problems through case studies. First, a brief history of case study method is presented. Second, advantages and disadvantages of case study methodology are discussed. Our experience in teaching mathematics to engineers shows that in order to be useful for engineering students, a case study should satisfy the following conditions: (1) The case should be based on a real-world problem; (2) Relatively simple mathematical models should be used to analyze the case; (3) Solution of complex, real-world problem requires knowledge of several mathematical methods (both analytical and numerical); (4) The results should be compared with experimental data.
Several examples of real-world problems which can be solved with relatively simple mathematical methods are discussed in the paper such as leak and blockage detection in pipelines and bacteria regrowth in water distribution systems.
Managerial statistics course is one of the core courses in many MBA programs. However, many students consider this course as one of the most difficult courses. There are several reasons for that: (1) many students have a negative impression about statistics course at undergraduate level; (2) some of them do not consider statistics as a useful tool in managerial decision making; (3) not all the students have solid background in mathematics and related areas. Case study as a teaching tool in these situations can help to overcome psychological barriers and stimulate students’ active participation and develop necessary problem solving skills. Examples of real-world business situations which can be analyzed by means of statistical methods are given in the paper. Advantages and limitations of case study method are discussed.

Brief Biography of the Speaker:
Andrei Kolyshkin received his undergraduate degree in Applied Mathematics in 1976 at the Riga Technical University. In 1981 he received a Ph.D in differential equations and mathematical physics at the University of St. Petersburg. Andrei Kolyshkin is currently a full professor at the Department of Engineering Mathematics at the Riga Technical University. His current research interests include investigation of stability problems in fluid mechanics with applications to open-channel flows and transient flows in hydraulic systems. He is the co-author of three monographs published by Academic Press and CRM. Andrei Kolyshkin has participated in more than 30 international conferences and has published amore than 50 papers in refereed journals since 1990. As a visiting professor and visiting researcher he spent a few years at the University of Ottawa and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.