TEACHING ABSTRACTION IN MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE - A Computer-supported Approach with Alloy

Abstract

ion skill is difficult but essential when learning computer science and mathematics. In this paper, we present an experience from the Computer Science Department of IUT de Montreuil in which mathematics and computing teaching work together in order to provide abstract thinking skills to students. Our approach is to connect mathematics and software engineering through a computer-supported approach which uses-in mathematics and software engineering undergraduate courses-Alloy, a lightweight formal method from MIT. Alloy serves as a continuum from micro-modelling activities-used to enforce an abstract understanding of basic mathematic concepts-to real software modelling practice. It enables us to elaborate a kind of exploratory learning where students are actively engaged.