Skip to main content ITU
Logo
  • Programmes
    • BSc Programmes
    • BSc in Global Business Informatics
    • BSc in Digital Design and Interactive Technologies
    • BSc in Software Development
    • BSc in Data Science
    • Applying for a BSc programme
    • MSc Programmes
    • MSc in Digital Innovation & Management
    • MSc in Digital Design and Interactive Technologies
    • MSc in Software Design
    • MSc in Data Science
    • MSc in Computer Science
    • MSc in Games
    • Applying for an MSc programme
    • Student Life
    • Practical information for international students
    • Ask a student
    • Women in tech
    • Student organisations at ITU
    • Study start
    • Labs for students
    • Special Educational Support (SPS)
    • Study and Career Guidance
    • Exchange student
    • Become an exchange student
    • Guest Students
    • Who can be a guest student?
    • ITU Summer University
    • Open House
    • Open House - BSc programmes
    • Open House - MSc programmes
  • Professional Education
    • Master in IT Management
    • Master in IT Management
    • Admission and entry requirements
    • Contact
    • Single Subjects
    • About single subjects
    • Admission and entry requirements
    • Contact
    • Short courses | ITU Professional Courses
    • See all short courses
    • Contact
    • Contact
    • Contact us here
  • Research
    • Sections
    • Data Science
    • Data, Systems, and Robotics
    • Digital Business Innovation
    • Digitalization Democracy and Governance
    • Human-Computer Interaction and Design
    • Play Culture and AI
    • Software Engineering
    • Technologies in Practice
    • Theoretical Computer Science
    • Research Centres
    • Centre for Digital Play
    • Center for Climate IT
    • Center for Computing Education Research
    • Centre for Digital Welfare
    • Centre for Information Security and Trust
    • Research Centre for Government IT
    • Danish Institute for IT Program Management
    • Research entities
    • Research centers
    • Sections
    • Research groups
    • Labs
    • ITU Research Portal
    • Find Researcher
    • Find Research
    • Research Ethics and Integrity
    • Good Scientific Practice
    • Technical Reports
    • Technical Reports
    • PhD Programme
    • About the PhD Programme
    • PhD Courses
    • PhD Defences
    • PhD Positions
    • Types of Enrolment
    • PhD Admission Requirements
    • PhD Handbook
    • PhD Support
  • Collaboration
    • Collaboration with students
    • Project collaboration
    • Project Market
    • Student worker
    • Project postings
    • Job and Project bank
    • Employer Branding
    • IT Match Making
    • Hiring an ITU student or graduate
    • Make a post in the job bank
    • Research collaboration
    • Read more about research collaboration at ITU
    • Industrial PhD
    • Hire an Industrial PhD
    • Maritime Hub
    • Innovation and entrepreneurship
    • ITU Business Development
    • ITU NextGen
  • About ITU
    • About ITU
    • Press
    • Vacancies
    • Contact
  • DK
Researchers aim to teach math students critical thinking with data science
ITU  /  Press  /  News from ITU  /  Researchers aim to teach math students critical thinking with data science

Researchers aim to teach math students critical thinking with data science

In a new research project at the IT University of Copenhagen and the University of Copenhagen, a group of researchers will investigate how data science can become part of high school mathematics education to provide students with a better foundation for critical thinking and the ability to illuminate and nuance claims they encounter in their daily lives.

Louise Meier CarlsenResearchEducationchildren and youthdata science

Written 31 March, 2025 07:37 by Mette Strange Mortensen

Technology plays a significant role in our society, and therefore it is important that young people in education learn to use it within various subject areas while also being critical of its use. This means that they must also understand the algorithms behind the technology. Both in mathematics education and interdisciplinary studies, there is great potential for using data science to develop teaching methods.

"There is great potential in incorporating data science specifically into mathematics education because it supports many of the topics that are already part of the high school mathematics curriculum. By looking at large datasets, one can understand, for example, basic statistical models including linear regression," says Assistant Professor at ITU, Louise Meier Carlsen. "It is also possible to look at facial recognition or other identification through digital image analysis, such as broken bones, skin cancer, or whether you can eat a particular mushroom or not. These are topics that are academically relevant to high school mathematics education and at the same time relevant to society."

Technology and its use is already an integrated part of everyday life for many young people. Most have a smartphone in their pocket without really knowing how it works on the inside. Nevertheless, they use it for everything from communicating with friends to asking an AI for help with writing a Danish essay.

"We see that generative AI is becoming more and more prevalent both in society and for young people, but many do not actually know the technology behind it. We hope that we can teach young people to both understand it and be critical of it," says Louise Meier Carlsen. "It is an important part of technological understanding to make black-box technologies understandable for young people."

In a new research project together with Associate Professor Britta Jessen from the University of Copenhagen, Louise Meier Carlsen will "unbox" the technology and make it interact with other subjects in high school so that young people can use data science to understand the world they live in. The project is titled DASME (Data Science in Mathematics Education).

Data science can answer big questions

With a focus on the use of large amounts of data, the advent of generative AI, and a tense global situation, it is now more important than ever to be able to critically assess the claims one sees and hears. Data science can also be used here.

"For example, when I was in high school almost 20 years ago, there was a belief and narrative that boys were better at mathematics than girls. There are now huge datasets available, so it is entirely within reach for high school students to explore and critically assess such claims. They can be asked to set up a study to investigate whether boys are better at mathematics than girls. They quickly find out that it does not make sense to ask that question and that it is instead other factors than gender that play a role in how one performs in mathematics in the Danish education system. It is actually a question that is extremely difficult to answer," says Louise Meier Carlsen. "Understanding technology and data science can thus help us nuance the things that happen in the world around us."

High school teachers must be involved

To succeed with the project, the researchers behind DASME must visit the high schools. Some of the most important collaborators are the high school teachers who know both what the students need to learn and how best to work with it.

"We know from research and many other experiments that they often have no long-term effect, so it is important for us to involve the high school teachers not just as recipients but as participants in the project. It is important that we in the DASME project create teaching materials that fit within the curriculum - data science should not be an extra burden for high school teachers. Therefore, it is essential that we get the high school teachers involved in the project. We need to develop the teaching materials together, as the teachers are the best at teaching high school students," says Louise Meier Carlsen.

"In Denmark, we have engaged and highly educated high school teachers, and the use of technology, especially in mathematics education and STEM subjects, is far advanced. Additionally, we are good at interdisciplinary studies. This provides fantastic frameworks for the project, which the rest of the world will also look to."

Further information

Theis Duelund Jensen, Press Officer, phone +45 2555 0447, email

News

"The aim is our trust"

"The aim is our trust"

6 May, 2025

As part of the Danish Science Festival, the IT University and the newspaper Dagbladet Information gathered a number of experts to discuss cyber warfare in Denmark and how prepared we are for it. The Minister of Resilience and Preparedness, Thorsten Schack Pedersen, also participated in the talk.

Professor portrait: Nutan Limaye is pushing the boundaries of complexity theory

Professor portrait: Nutan Limaye is pushing the boundaries of complexity theory

1 May, 2025

On 22 May 2025 at 14:30, Professor Nutan Limaye from the section Theoretical Computer Science will present her inaugural lecture in Auditorium 0 at the IT University of Copenhagen. The lecture is entitled “My reflections on the last two decades and Complexity Theory”.

Professor portrait Anna Vallgårda challenges the design of care technology

Professor portrait Anna Vallgårda challenges the design of care technology

24 April, 2025

On 9 May 2025 at 14:30, Professor Anna Vallgårda will give her inaugural lecture in Auditorium 0 at the IT University of Copenhagen. The lecture is entitled: ”Radical Redesign of Care Technologies”.

Is Denmark prepared for cyberwarfare?

Is Denmark prepared for cyberwarfare?

8 April, 2025

A group of researchers from the IT University of Copenhagen is investigating what Denmark can learn from Ukraine in terms of preparing for cyberwarfare. Cyberwarfare does not just affect governments and companies, but also civilians, and the researchers ask what should be done if we come under attack.

ITU researcher secures grant to improve safety of AI systems

ITU researcher secures grant to improve safety of AI systems

19 March, 2025

At Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in Japan, Associate Professor Alessandro Bruni from ITU is currently conducting research on the mathematical foundation for developing verifiably correct machine learning frameworks. The project is supported by the Carlsberg Foundation.

Professor portrait: Vasilis Galis found his way in research on the Athens metro

Professor portrait: Vasilis Galis found his way in research on the Athens metro

13 March, 2025

On 28 March 2025 at 14:30, Professor Vasilis Galis from the section Technologies in Practice will present his inaugural lecture in Auditorium 0 at the IT University of Copenhagen. The lecture is entitled “Research against dead time”.

ITU researcher investigates elections in Greenland

ITU researcher investigates elections in Greenland

11 March, 2025

On 11 March 2025, the election for Inatsisartut (Greenland's parliament) will take place. For several years, researchers from ITU, led by Professor Carsten Schürmann and Center for Information Security and Trust, have been investigating election and the possibility of internet elections in Greenland, and the election today is no exception.

IRFD funded ITU project to develop theoretical foundation for probabilistic session types

IRFD funded ITU project to develop theoretical foundation for probabilistic session types

6 March, 2025

The increasing technological complexity makes probabilistic understanding and management of critical computing systems a necessity. A new research project, led by Associate Professor Marco Carbone, aims to develop the foundation for probabilistic session types to that end.

Urban highways are barriers to social connections

Urban highways are barriers to social connections

5 March, 2025

Researchers from IT University of Copenhagen have proved that urban highways limit social connections in the 50 largest cities in the US. It is the first ever quantitative evaluation of the barrier effect of urban highways in reducing social connections across neighborhoods.

New research to find efficient strategies for prevention of epidemics

New research to find efficient strategies for prevention of epidemics

26 February, 2025

Assistant Professor at ITU, Jonas Juul, receives a Novo Nordisk Foundation Data Science Investigator grant of DKK 6.5 million for a project that aims to improve statistical methods for predicting outbreaks of infections.

Within Limits – an exhibition on computation and constraint

Within Limits – an exhibition on computation and constraint

24 February, 2025

On 7 March, join Artist Jacob Remin, Associate Professor James Maguire and Postdoc Frauke Mennes from the Center for Climate IT at ITU for the launch of Within Limits – an art installation that questions and reimagines the scalar logics inherent in computational worlds.

ITU students and alumni win awards at Copenhagen Gaming Week

ITU students and alumni win awards at Copenhagen Gaming Week

21 February, 2025

ITU was represented with games developed by both students and alumni from the university at Copenhagen Gaming Week and ‘Spilprisen’ that took place last week. Students from the MSc Games won the award for ’Best Student Game’, while alumni from the same study programme won for ‘Best Debut’.

New research project to find a more inclusive way to develop algorithms

New research project to find a more inclusive way to develop algorithms

10 February, 2025

Associate Professor Veronika Cheplygina has received a Novo Nordisk Data Science Investigator Grant of almost DKK 11 million. The grant will fund research on how more inclusive teaching and research environments may lead to better algorithms for medical imaging.

Thesis on digital divide in prisons wins award

Thesis on digital divide in prisons wins award

31 January, 2025

Three students from ITU have won the Danish Institute for Human Rights' Thesis Award for their thesis "The Digital Divide in Prisons". The thesis examines how the digital divide between inmates in Danish prisons and the surrounding society can be bridged.

New ITU research analyses attacks on Large Language Models

New ITU research analyses attacks on Large Language Models

16 January, 2025

What are the intentions and profile of someone trying to use LLMs for malicious purposes? And how do they do it? In a new study, researchers from ITU define so-called “red teaming” of LLMs to enable better security in the future.

Jakob Grue Simonsen named new prorector at IT University in Copenhagen

Jakob Grue Simonsen named new prorector at IT University in Copenhagen

22 November, 2024

Jakob Grue Simonsen, who comes from a position as head of department at the Department of Computer Science, University of Copenhagen, will focus on well-being and collaboration when he takes over as prorector at ITU on 1 January 2025.

IT University of Copenhagen reveals two new members of management

IT University of Copenhagen reveals two new members of management

18 November, 2024

At IT University of Copenhagen, future head of education, Luís Cruz-Filipe (L), and future head of research, Morten Hjelholt (R), will become part of the university management when both take up their positions on 1 February and 1 January 2025 respectively.

Video: Is artificial intelligence the key to human consciousness?

Video: Is artificial intelligence the key to human consciousness?

12 November, 2024

"Our future is going to look like science fiction." Associate professor at IT University of Copenhagen, Paolo Burelli, uses artificial intelligence to approach a better understanding of the human brain and consciousness.

ITU researcher awarded Villum Synergy grant for qualitative data project

ITU researcher awarded Villum Synergy grant for qualitative data project

15 October, 2024

Associate Professor at IT University of Copenhagen, Anna Rogers, and Associate Professor Hjalmar Carlsen at University of Copenhagen have received a Villum Synergy grant from Villum Fonden to develop a new tool for conducting large-scale, high-quality qualitative interviews.

Contact us

Phone
+45 7218 5000
E-mail
itu@itu.dk

All contact information

Web Accessibility Statement

Find us

IT University of Copenhagen
Rued Langgaards Vej 7
DK-2300 Copenhagen S
Denmark
How to get here

Follow us

ITU Student /
Privacy /
EAN-nr. 5798000417878/
CVR-nr. 29 05 77 53 /
P-nummer 1005162959

This page is printed from https://www.itu.dk/Efteruddannelser/Enkeltfagskurser/Enkeltfag-paa-masterniveau?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=202504__EF-bred__Kerne____meta&fbclid=IwY2xjawKO4EZleHRuA2FlbQEwAGFkaWQAAAYk3fCMJgEedPLlDOdpIhnKz3uq4Q7-LRGdBVsPbzg4hHbnglcDx6LiodzVgnVaany55qk_aem_6Z8kASd1TjQ5guf9VC5XgQ&utm_id=6755405555566&utm_content=6755410739566&utm_term=6755405555766