An Intervention Based on Identifying Topics That Students Have Difficulties with

Abstract

Students who start university coming from secondary school commit some common conceptual errors. This paper presents a study developed in the subject of Numerical Methods taught in the second term of the Industrial Engineering Degrees of Oviedo University (Spain). The study was comprised of several activities, with two main objectives. Firstly, detecting over time the main deficiencies in mathematical knowledge presented by students in the first year of their university degrees and secondly, overcoming these shortcomings. The activities carried out involved preparing teaching materials to be uploaded to a shared folder and made available to the students of the subject, the preparation of a questionnaire and the performance of a task group by the students and then giving them feedback about the shortcomings identified. These activities have been well-received by the students and the results obtained have been positive. Our intention, for later courses, is to continue developing this work with some supplementary activities.

Assessing the Impact of Attendance Modality on the Learning Performance of a Course on Machines and Mechanisms Theory

“…However, in addition, failure is more probable when two, or less than two assignments are completed. It is also worth noting that a higher concentration of marks is ranked in the level of high qualification [7][8][9][10]. This postulates that, the maximum assignments handed-in, the higher marks obtained.…”

“…To that end, the main goal usually seeks to assess active and valid learning. However, this comes implicitly associated with a set of secondary objectives which are strongly connected to the need of overcoming generalized misconceptions and wrong pre-acquired understanding of basic theoretic concepts [7][8][9][10] (most of them are even experienced by teachers [11]).…”

“…Legend: the whole set of students (pass and fail marks); only students who pass. (b) Comparison of marks distribution by rank between test group and control group: Legend: [0-5];[5][6];[6][7];[7][8][9];[9][10].…”

A Revisited Conceptual Change in Mathematical-Physics Education from a Neurodidactic Approach: A Pendulum Inquiry

“…Fundamentally, teaching is based on memorizing scientific concepts and on solving algebraic problems, as well as on activities for collecting information or questions about reading, relegating handson activities to a second place [1]. With respect to algebraic problem solving (the resource mainly used), according to the Bhaskara and Panacharoensawad study, students barely remember or understand how to determine the physical laws and equations involved in the problem [2] because it is like learning a foreign language with symbols but without any context, and mathematics is more than just an empty logical science [3]. Problemsolving methodology by using only mathematical processing leaves too many conceptual gaps [4][5][6], even though real-life problems are used, because there are some deficiencies in the conceptual knowledge of mathematical analysis, so scientific concepts are not fully consolidated.…”