Contextualization of basic sciences in technological degrees

摘要

This Research-to-Practice Work in Progress paper presents a project based on increasing the motivation and performance of undergraduate technology students. It is well known that in order to achieve greater motivation for technology students, it is advisable to contextualize the basic sciences through immediate applications to the disciplines of technological degrees. The work presented is aimed at improving the teaching of sciences at a polytechnic university, illustrating their teaching through technological problems. To this end, since the 2017/2018 academic year, a seminar of contextualization of Mathematics in technological degrees addressed to the teaching staff is being held, dealing in each session with different technological areas. With the aim of assessing this seminar, anonymous surveys for teachers have been conducted. As a result, a set of practical exercises and guidelines with concepts of the different disciplines of engineering have been created. Subsequently, the material extracted from those sessions have been adapted to be useful for the students, starting in the present academic year a seminar addressed to undergraduate students. These sessions intend to improve the motivation and involvement of students, as well as to evaluate through student surveys, the achievement of mathematical and technological concepts, in order to use these results for a future adaptation of Mathematics core subjects. At the same time, during this academic year, the seminar has been expanded to Physics, starting with sessions aimed to teachers. In the future it is planned to follow the experiences with other basic sciences.