Abstract:

The exceptional health situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic forced University institutions to adapt their pedagogical practices. The popularity reached by videoconferencing platforms (Zoom, Teams, Meet, Jitsi) as replacement tools to the face-to-face class, in most cases, they were a simple translation of the classic and traditional expository class in the classroom, by another, mediated by a technological device. Because of that and other factors, students’ engagement becomes even more inextricable, and get their attention is an arduous and challenging task.

For the current year, with a less complex epidemiological situation but not yet resolved, in the subject Mathematical Analysis I subject at the Information Systems Engineering career (MAI-ISE) of our University, different combined/hybrid didactic strategies are being defined to delineate a return to face to face classes, all of them based on an interdisciplinary approach by competences, oriented to avoid the theory-practice gap, mediated by computer assisted learning and focused on the inclusion and retention of the student of first year of the career. This new scenario implies adaptations, transformations and innovations that lead to continuous teacher’s training.

A recurring problem in the first cycle of the career is that few students manage to understand the basic concepts of numerical sequences and series (NSS), very important in the framework of the software logic development. That knowledge is generally developed with its integration into core programming subjects and the use of mathematical software is limited to a didactic work of geometric modeling.

This paper proposes a Workshop with the students of MAI-ISE about NSS, applying the flipped classroom model with virtual support and using different software for different semiotic representation registers, as an initial approach for understanding basic concepts of SSN.

The workshop incorporates problem situations that reflect the use of concepts and calculations to interpret the solutions; it contemplates the paradoxes that may appear and looks for similar counterexamples that allow the student to deepen/strengthen the concepts and investigate analogous situations. That modality also allows teachers to argue the fusion of NSS issue as an axis to improve the articulation of subjects needed for ISE career, between Mathematical Sciences and Computer Science (Algorithm and Data Structure, Discrete Mathematic).

The Workshop aims to the effective development of mathematical competencies and higher-order thinking skills, fundamental values for the engineering student.

The activity applies a dynamic and flexible methodology, oriented to the resolution of problems. The proposed virtual modality forces us to reflect once again on the epistemic interrelations between teachers and students.

Keywords:

Numerical sequences and series, computational mathematics, mathematical competence education, convergence.