THE DYNAMIC COMPUTER-SUPPORTED VISUALIZATION AMPLIFYING STUDENTS’ GREATER AWARENESS OF THE CONCEPT OF LIMITS IN THE COURSE OF FURTHER MATHEMATICS

Objectives: The aim of the research is to make students’ perception of the concept of limits better in the course of Further Mathematics based on a set of teaching and learning aids consisting of a workbook and computer animation.

Methods / Analysis: A mathematics course that has been taught at university in the technical major is intended to provide the necessary basis for studying other vocational subjects.

However, many students find the course of Further Mathematics one of the most difficult to master. The reasons for this belief are a lower number of class hours and a much-decreased level of secondary school mathematical proficiency of first-year students.

The lecturers had to develop a module of teaching methods that contained a workbook and dynamic computer presentations (in the form of a slide show) aimed at mastering students’ maths skills.

The authors chose the topic devoted to “The concept of limits” for the experiment. Computer-supported visualizations were offered in Maple and PowerPoint.

The lecturers gave classes using a teaching-aid set for students majored in Electrical Power Engineering and Electrical Engineering, Construction, Information Systems and Technologies at Sholom-Aleichem Priamursky State University during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 academic year.

The survey involved 62 first-year students (there were 34 students in a test group and 28 students in an experimental one).
The students were to take a final questionnaire after having finished studying the topic.

Findings:
The results of the survey indicate that the classes with specially designed teaching aids (workbooks and computer visualizations) proved to be more effective and dynamic.
91% of questioned students held a positive view towards the workbooks.
The students answered the question “How much animation video clips have helped in theoretical studying the concept of limits according to a 0 to 5 grading scale (where 5 is excellent, 0 is no)” in the following way: “5” - 68.2%; “4” - 13.6%; “3” - 9.1%, “2” - 9.1%.
As a result of the educational experiment, the average rating of students’ academic progress in the experimental group is 37% higher than that in the test group.
Using the given teaching aids in the educational process made it possible to have the following advances:
- to free up some of the lecture time;
- to add value of students’ cognitive activity via information technology training;
- to work out basic skills and abilities;
- to differentiate the educational process, providing individual opportunities for students who are interested in mathematics to do more complex assignments;
- to drill and practise the English mathematical vocabulary, using definitions in the presentation not only in Russian, but also in English;
- to create positive learning experience in the subject, involving entertaining or little-known historical facts.

The use of abstract mathematical notions in the presentation of dynamic computer visualization allows introducing them to students in a flexible way for perception, thus avoiding any formalism of knowledge.

Applications / Improvements:
These days, the scholars have been developing similar teaching and learning aids organized thematically on sections Derivation and Integration.