Embedding Sustainability in Undergraduate Mathematics with Actionable Case Studies

TL;DR

This paper introduces four practical case studies that embed sustainability concepts into undergraduate mathematics courses, demonstrating how mathematical methods can address real-world ecological challenges.

Contribution

It provides ready-to-use ecological case studies integrating sustainability into mathematics education, enhancing interdisciplinary problem-solving skills.

Findings

Case studies cover population dynamics, fisheries, species assessment, climate modeling

Mathematical methods include calculus, statistics, operations research

Tools help educators incorporate ecological thinking into math classes

Abstract

There is a growing need to integrate sustainability into tertiary mathematics education given the urgency of addressing global environmental challenges. This paper presents four case studies from Australian university courses that incorporate ecological and environmentally-conscious concepts into the mathematics curriculum. These case studies cover topics such as population dynamics, sustainable fisheries management, statistical inference for endangered species assessment, and mathematical modelling of climate effects on marine ecosystems. Each case demonstrates how fundamental mathematical methods, including calculus, statistics and operations research, can be applied to real-world ecological issues. These examples are ready-to-implement problems for integrating ecological thinking into mathematics classes, providing educators with practical tools to help students develop interdisciplinary problem-solving skills and prepare for the challenges of sustainability in their future careers.