Active learning methodologiesto strengthen mathematical basic knowledgein engineering degrees

Resumen

The results reported by the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) for the academic year2017-2018 showed that engineering degrees present low performance rates. The leading cause of suchlow performance rates might be the low level in mathematics acquired before enrolling in university.Math-related subjects constitute around 40% of the first academic year of any engineering degree andthe basis to take more specific subjects. Therefore, the aim of this study was (1) to assess first-year students’basic knowledge on mathematics, (2) to detect knowledge gaps and (3) to address these gapsthrough active learning methodologies. A total of 376 students from seven different engineering degreeswere enrolled in the study. Students took a test covering fundamental mathematical concepts thatshould have been acquired before enrolling in university. The test consisted of 54 questions dividedinto 9 blocks. Students presenting blocks with less than 66% of correctly answered questions were encouragedto use the specific multimedia material for each block designed to overcome the detectedknowledge gaps. After four weeks to make use of the multimedia material, students took a second basicknowledge test to compute the improvement achieved with respect to the first test and to what extentthe multimedia material helped students overcome the knowledge gaps. Students obtained a meanscore of 5.60 and 6.55 out of 10 for the first and second tests, respectively. That is, an overall improvementof 0.95.