Abstract:

In Spanish universities, there exist several non-formal educational programs that are dedicated to lifelong learning. Although these training courses and activities are usually associated with specialization or refresher courses from a professional viewpoint, there exists another aspect of the lifelong learning based on personal development and active citizenship. Precisely, this aspect is the backbone of senior people classroom programs in most of public Spanish universities offering such educational programs for senior people (i.e from 55 years old on). Usually, the goal of senior people classrooms consists in offering a place for scientific, social and cultural discussion for people who have already finished their work activity period (i.e they are retirees) or who, due to any other personal circumstances, are interested for taking university training courses but only on certain questions: most frequently on cross curricular subjects that are interesting for these students but without those determinants and requirements being necessary or compulsory for undergraduate or graduate studies. At this respect, senior people classroom courses provide knowledge to students by means of more colloquial and informal explanations in such a way that teaching is focused on scientific dissemination using appropriate context for this type of students. In this way, these programs allow universities to accomplish one of their main purposes: disseminate and communicate the knowledge that is being generated in universities but using a language and approach which can be useful and understandable for the society.

When considering how mathematical topics may be taught under the context of senior people classroom programs, it is compulsory to plan appropriate topics such that Mathematics is not the common thread but containing a noteworthy mathematical background. In this way, topics can be introduced and explained by contextualizing notions and procedures without a purely mathematical approach and looking for a closer relation to the attendant people provoking their interest for the mathematical topic but not talking about Mathematics. In this paper, we explain some of the topics that we have used for teaching Mathematics in senior people classroom courses in such a way that our students have only required the basic knowledge acquired after elementary school and we have a very precise context to introduce some mathematical notions. For example, we have used Arts and Architecture for working with proportionality and projective geometry; or, analogously, by analyzing some nature phenomena and recreational games, we have introduced the golden number and geometric figures. Finally, we have also used the history and the analysis of different classical cultures to deal with number systems, types of numbers (according to the society’s economical and social requirements) or the notion of infinity (in relation to social and religious historical constrains throughout the ages).

Keywords:

Senior-people classroom, Lifelong learning, Mathematics, University.