testlikning

Testlikning is a pedagogical term used in Norwegian mathematics education to describe a class of exercises where students engage with equations in the context of a problem. The term combines likning, meaning equation, with a sense of testing or practicing, and is used to label activities that assess a learner’s ability to translate real or hypothetical situations into algebraic form, manipulate equations, and check solutions.

Definition and scope: A testlikning typically involves a short scenario, given data, and one or more unknown quantities. Students are asked to construct an equation or a system of equations that captures the relationships described, solve for the unknown(s), and verify whether the answers are reasonable within the context.

Examples: Word problems about money, distance, time, or mixtures can be used. For instance, a problem might describe a situation with a fixed cost plus a variable cost per unit, and asks to find the unit price given a total cost and quantity. Other examples include systems of linear equations derived from multiple related quantities, where the goal is to determine two or more unknowns.

Educational purpose: Testlikning exercises promote algebraic thinking, including translating verbal information into symbols, choosing an appropriate solving method, and evaluating the plausibility of results in the given context.

Relation to other concepts: It is similar to word problems and mathematical modeling, but emphasizes the construction and solving of equations as the primary tool in reaching a solution.

See also: algebra, word problem, equation, mathematical modeling.