Connecting quantitative method education to the real world: Teaching formulation, modeling, and the process of problem-solving

Responding to Reisman’s call, this paper outlines courses and pedagogical practices, both in place and under development, which bring more of the real world into courses teaching quantitative methods. All of the courses discussed teach the entire process of problem solving, including problem definition, formulation, data collection, analysis, verification of calculations, validation of models and results, sensitivity analysis, and synthesis of conclusions (including margin of error). The major vehicle for learning this process is the user of student-generated projects, where the students define and solve an unstructured problem about which they care personally, usually in terms of 2 or 3. These projects also give students experience in managing projects and meeting schedules, and in giving progress reports and final reports (both oral and written) in a professional manner. The paper first describes a course under development (with the support of a federal grant) designed for first-year undergraduates in business and the social sciences. It connects topics in calculus, matrices, and linear programming to other courses, students’ careers, and to their personal lives by using realistic problems and real-world data to motivate and develop all of the concepts and techniques covered (in part by the use of some short videos). The emphasis is on modeling, formulation, appropriate technology, conceptual understanding, and inductive development (discovery learning). The paper than briefly discusses OR/MS courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels, and finishes with a number of pedagogical approaches designed to foster cooperation, efficiency and effectiveness, maximum learning, feedback between teacher and students, and continuous improvement.