Abstract:

We live in a global society and institutions of higher education must prepare students for the challenges of the global market. Students should acquire skills in order to meet the demands of globalization. Therefore, processes to develop autonomy, personal, critical and responsible work are valued in order to induce a continuing self-education. The current technology, especially online technology, allows managing the information, in a more quick and diversified way. That contributes to improve teaching and learning, including in the mathematics field, driving to changes in both processes. M@t-educate with success is an online platform designed to motivate students to study and improve mathematic contents effectiveness.

This platform is available on the Internet and includes two sets of action: “M@t.B”, which is focused on secondary education contents identified as prerequisites for higher education courses attendance; and “M@t.Plus”, which deals with syllabus related with the Maths Analysis area, taught in higher education, namely Integral Calculus, Multivariable Functions and Differential Equations. The platform allows the resolution of several interactive exercises, respecting the pace of each student. Some of the exercises are accompanied with animations, and immediate feedback is given to the student, thus enabling the construction of mathematical knowledge and enhancing self-regulated learning.

Given the need to ascertain the potential of this platform, a case study was developed with the main goal of evaluating the influence of the M@t-educate with success platform in developing mathematical skills and autonomy in students of Bachelor in Management, from a Portuguese Polytechnic institution.

We opted for a qualitative research approach, based on a constructivist paradigm, and the case study strategy because it allows studying in detail, a particular phenomenon. For this purpose various techniques of data collection were used – inquiry, observation and document analysis, supported on several instruments.

Within this paper, in addition to fit and theoretically and methodologically to justify the study, we present the main results and conclusions achieved until now, and some considerations are taken, related to the contribution of the research undertaken, especially for the formation of more autonomous future citizens, able to meet the challenges of a global society.

Keywords:

e-learning Platforms, Innovative Environments, Higher Education, Mathematics Learning, Autonomy.