E-BOOK “PROBABILITY FOR ENGINEERS”: A STUDY TOOL FOR NEW GENERATIONS

Probability is one of the fundamental subjects in the engineer education. In some cases, it is hard to comprehend and to teach it due to the level of abstraction of key concepts along with the need of having a strong background on several topics, such as Algebra and both Differential and Integral Calculus with two or more variables.

Due to the listed features previously of the subject and adding the earned skills on technological tools that the latest generations of engineers on training at National Autonomous University of Mexico (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM) have gotten, and who currently attend this subject in the Faculty, it is important to foster the tools which have favored changes in the ways of learning and approaching diverse subjects, specially today's young students. While tackling the difficulties that the teachers may face when encouraging not only the interest of the students in the subject, but also embracing a different form of exposure and implementation of new ways of teaching.

Being aware of the opportunities in this matter, with the support of at UNAM, the digital book "Probability for Engineers", whose main characteristics, which we consider at the same time are qualities, are:
1) The content is attached to the current Study Program of the subject, in the Faculty of Engineering of UNAM,
2) Being an E-book, it responds to the current and main preferences of both students and teachers, regarding the usual use of digital materials.
3) It is a portable material that can be storaged in mobile devices, which our students use to conduct searches and for communication.
4) It includes explanatory videos of some fundamental themes of the subject, so the student has the possibility of consulting the subject taught in class before, and also has an alternate explanation made by another teacher.
5) The student will be able to experience and notice behaviors of some important concepts that we have identified as difficult to understand fully through interactive applets; among other features.

In this work, we describe the main features and benefits expected in the students' learning while using our material, as well as the main principles shown due to the development of the videos and applets that are part of the book.