ENHANCING MATH LESSONS WITH A BLENDED TECH-PEDAGOGY APPROACH

Abstract

Undergraduate mathematics courses play a vital role for students aiming for professions in the domain of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. However, many students find mathematics courses challenging and intimidating, leading to high dropout rates and not up to mark performance. This paper reviews pedagogical strategies for effective teaching of undergraduate mathematical sciences courses, based on current research and best practices. These strategies include the use of technology, clear and concise explanations that encourage deep understanding. By implementing these strategies, course instructors can create a positive learning environment that supports student success in undergraduate courses. To accomplish this, Mathematica, Wolfram Alpha, R, and Matlab tools are tested on a set of problems. The novelty in using Computer Algebra System (CAS) tools lies in the advancement of machine learning algorithms, which have resulted in the advancement of more sophisticated and easy-to-use CAS interfaces. Students can find the opportunity of numerous experiments that provide some insights of problem solving methods. Further, the use of these computer applications provide meaningful understanding for the student, and an opportunity to verify the manual calculations. Mathematica and Wolfram Alpha seem to provide better results with respect to results accuracy and plots of useful functions. This study would provide a new challenge to both teachers as well as undergraduate and research students of these disciplines. Moreover, the paper highlights how these tools provide students with opportunities to verify manual calculations and explore different solution methods, fostering deeper understanding and critical thinking.