Abstract:

In a world with an increasing degree of skills demanding, the arriving to university level carry out a spread level in the whole student spectrum. In particular, math skills have a historic mild or poor development which worsen in nowadays. Nevertheless, scientific and technological professions appear as the more promising and demanding activities in the next future, a desolated perspective in spite of comparison between offer and demand positions. STEM programs have appointed this issue mainly related with mathematical skills being developed in the first ages of instruction, but in the meanwhile, a growing group of student is arriving to the college years at the university with an uncomplete math baggage. Desertion in the first years of engineering university is commonly attributed to fails in math and physics courses, last mainly to the first area deficiencies. Calculus related courses at those years of instruction are normally based on supposed strong algebra and geometry previously developed skills, but reality is unfortunately different and university put few effort to realize and correct this situation.

IXL is an adaptive system to improve math skills covering K-12 education, including topics in algebra and precalculus. A sustained use of this tool is believed to improve notoriously the incoming math skills in the college students. As an intention to correct the deficiencies in the performance of those skills, particularly in algebra and geometry, a group of teachers in those level has conducted a research about the impact of an IXL intervention in the precalculus and differential calculus course in the first year of college education. Using selective activities in that tool in algebra, geometry and precalculus levels and a blended learning strategy improvements and outcomes are been measured to state a recommended use of this tool in those courses. This work presents the design of immersion in the whole course, blended learning content and strategies followed, as well as statistical outcomes of the educative experiences followed during a year to evaluate the value of IXL at this educative level.

Keywords:

Gamification, Blended learning, College education, Mathematics.