Abstract:

Students of Mechanical Engineering often find a great amount of difficulties in those courses where the practical application of the theoretical concepts is essential. This paper describes the various innovative experiences implemented in the classrooms of advanced calculus, 3rd course of the engineering career, where mediation between the content of the subject and responses expected from the student group, was given through the gradual incorporation, in the dictation or workshops classes, different technological applications (Mathematica, Labview, Comsol) and the use of virtual learning platforms. Over the years, implemented methodological strategies had each own and distinct characteristics in terms of the activities and results achieved, but integrated in the sense of the contributions made to the training in engineering.

This strategy is supported on the technique of different projects, and has been carried out for six years. Students have showed a significant interest and motivation for this activity and their opinions respect to the utility of these practices have been absolutely positive, thanks to several factors such as: flexible schedules and tutorials, the coordination between seminars and theoretical learning, the set of problems and practical cases proposed, the organization of the seminars and a fluent communication between students and teacher. Educational interventions that use technological applications available to explore concepts of modeling, estimation of parameters, numerical simulation and analysis of cases in search of better understanding of concepts and procedures have been developed. On the other hand, was an emphasis on the results achieved by the students after using technological applications to validate, verify properties, classify or calculations that are complicated in the contents of the subject (complex variable, Laplace transformed, Series and Fourier Transforms). Different innovative educational experiences, which the Department has implemented in recent years in the teaching of the advanced calculus, have allowed revealing the change experienced by teaching thinking about the construction of the technological scientific knowledge, within the framework of the new epistemological looking of the science. On the one hand, traditional techniques that allow observing the analysis of causality are used. On the other hand, by computer programs oriented to complex systems and control, employing the algebra of blocks and arrows to feedback, is obtained models starting from their constitute and structural relations, that allow translate such models in ordinary differential equations systems and to the same time, allows use certain techniques of analysis directly on their flowsheets.

This approach includes the concepts of causality and feedback and ports, as well as the vision that emerges from the paradigm of OOP objects, to create databases and be eligible for various resolution techniques, as also to incorporate those concepts that allow the solving systems of more than one degree of freedom systems, non-linear, with multiple inputs and outputs. Of this way is a break with the model of only one thought and is prepared to the future engineer for the handling of a complexity that today is unavoidable.

Keywords:

Advance calculus, technology, project based learning, educational strategy.