Abstract:

From the 2010/11 academic year I am teaching Linear Algebra in English. This is a core full-year subject with 9 credits corresponding to the First Year of Degrees in the field of Industrial Engineering. The English-medium instruction contributes to raising student motivation because students face the challenge of studying in a foreign language. Students usually mention that this fact seems not to have any negative effects on subject learning, although they know from the beginning that Linear Algebra is not an easy subject and they understand that they need an additional effort to pass it.

Although the marks obtained by my students were quite good these last two years, obtaining assessment outcomes beyond expectations, I would like to improve their attitude during the teaching-learning process.

In this communication I present some tools used in the classroom in order to help our students to be more constant in their study, as they work not only when the exam is close but also during the course. By achieving this goal, we will get as an additional advantage that our students will participate more fully in classroom discussions and activities, making the most of the explanations given by the teacher every day.