Technology Choices of Undergraduate Engineering Students for Solving Calculus Questions

Abstract

The use of technology is increasing day-by-day in educational environments and industry. Teaching theoretical concepts with computer program and calculator applications help students to understand the use of technology in various areas of engineering calculations. Different technologies can be used for solving different kinds of engineering problems. In this work, technology preferences of engineering undergraduate students who were enrolled at a mid-sized Northeastern U.S. institution for solving three different types of calculus problems are investigated with the emphasis on understanding technology education of these students' during their high school and university education. The qualitative results to be displayed in this research consist of students' written questionnaire and video recorded interview responses. The nature of quantitative results consist of probabilities that reflect the students' technology preferences and the variation analysis of the programming preferences across different research questions. The results presented in this paper help to determine and understand engineering students' technology choices for solving different calculus problems based on their technology education. The participants of this Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved research completed the third calculus course of a fourcourse calculus sequence. This article is a continuation of another IRB approved research that was conducted by the researcher at a large Midwest U.S. institution.

An Analysis of Conceptual Integral Knowledge of STEM Majors

“…Understanding STEM students' conceptual calculus knowledge with their interest in the use of technology for solving calculus questions have been studied in the literature by Tokgoz et. al [1,[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] and the goal of this research is to investigate furthermore on the STEM major's ability to respond calculus-based questions with their ability to apply algebra and a variety of calculus concepts.…”

“…APOS theory is used recently to better understand and improve STEM undergraduate and graduate students' ability to respond a variety of calculus questions by Tokgoz et. al [1,[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. Evaluation of the results indicated a variety of APOS classification of the participants' depending on the research question for analysis of integral, series, function, limit, derivative, and asymptote knowledge.…”

An Analysis of STEM Students’ Integral and Area Under the Curve Knowledge

“…APOS theory was applied recently on calculus-based applications on a variety of concepts to understand and improve STEM majors' calculus sub-concept through suggestions to the educators [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. These applications included sub-concepts such as functions, derivatives, limits, Riemann sums, and the use of technology for advancing calculus education.…”

“…In order to determine the existence of this limit and/or to calculate its value, the student needs to encapsulate the Riemann sum Process into an Object. APOS theory was recently used to better understand and improve STEM undergraduate and graduate students' ability to respond to a variety of calculus questions [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. Evaluation of the results indicated a variety of APOS classification of the participants depending on the research question for analysis of integral, series, function, limit, derivative, and asymptote knowledge.…”

Undergraduate Industrial Engineering Majors’ Software Preferences for Solving Statistical Process Control and Operations Research Questions

“…Engineering majors' software choices to solve calculus questions were investigated in several pedagogical research articles however these articles were not focused on industrial engineering students' software application interests. 1,2 The importance of meeting students' learning choices and research-based principles of smart teaching is studied in the literature for trying to understand how learning works 7 . Students are observed to be understanding the material thoroughly when instructors' teaching methods match with the students' learning preferences.…”