Is there any link between students’ success in Maths courses for Engineering and their assessment during the semester by using computer-aided activities?

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31637/epsir-2024-1007

Keywords:

mathematics, engineering, ICT, computer-aided teaching, assessment, problem solving, tutorial, statistical analysis

Abstract

Introduction: In Maths courses for engineering degrees, students show shortages in their compentence levels for elemental Mathematics (in both concepts and procedures). . Our goal is to analyze if there exists some incidence in students’ academic performance because of solving several activities by using computational software and under the teaching staff’s supervision during the semester. Methodology: We select a sample between students who is enrolled in the second semester of the academic year 2022/2023 in two 1st-year courses. We perform a statistical data processing for this sample in order to make a comparison between the overall grade for each course and the performance of the previous computer-aided activities for each student. Results: Students’ grades are significanly affected, in a positive sense, by performing the aforementioned computer-aided activities under teaching supervision. More than a half os studentes who passed the course in the first summons had carried out these activities. Conclusions: The use of computer-aided activities (by means of computational or dynamical geometry software) is signficantly beneficial for our students’ instruction in Maths courses for Engineering degrees, boosting their academic performance in order to pass these courses.

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Author Biographies

Ana M. Martín-Caraballo, Pablo de Olavide University

Degree in Mathematics from the University of Seville and PhD in Economics from the University Pablo de Olavide. She is Associate Professor in the area of Quantitative Methods in the Dept. of Economics, Quantitative Methods and Economic History. She is Treasurer in the Delegation of Seville of the Andalusian Society of Mathematical Education THALES, being previously Secretary and Provincial Delegate, as well as Vocal of International Relations. She teaches mathematics in the degrees in Business Administration and Management, Economic Analysis and Computer Engineering in Information Systems, as well as in the university master's degree in secondary education teacher training. He has numerous publications on Poverty Indicators, Graph Theory and History and Didactics of Mathematics.

Ángel F. Tenorio-Villalón, Pablo de Olavide University

Degree in Mathematics and PhD in Geometry and Topology from the University of Seville. Professor of Applied Mathematics in the Dept. of Economics, Quantitative Methods and Economic History and Secretary of the Polytechnic School of the University Pablo de Olavide. He was Secretary and Provincial Delegate in the Delegation of Seville of the Andalusian Society of Mathematical Education Thales. He teaches mathematics in the degree in computer engineering in information systems, in the university master's degree in secondary education teacher training and, occasionally, in the Faculty of Business Sciences. He has more than one hundred publications on non-commutative algebra, computer algebra, graph theory and history, divulgation and didactics of mathematics.

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Published

2024-10-09

How to Cite

Martín-Caraballo, A. M., & Tenorio-Villalón, Ángel F. (2024). Is there any link between students’ success in Maths courses for Engineering and their assessment during the semester by using computer-aided activities?. European Public & Social Innovation Review, 9, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.31637/epsir-2024-1007

Issue

Vol. 9 (2024)

Section

Education

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Copyright (c) 2024 Ana M. Martín-Caraballo; Ángel F. Tenorio-Villalón (Autor de Correspondencia)

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