Keywords
Bloom’s taxonomy
Computer-based math
CDIO standards
How to Cite
Abstract
The lack of competences development related to engineering problems solving is one of the most frequent criticisms made to the education of new engineers in Universities in Colombia. In this study, tests were intended to quantify their performance regarding the integration of four competences from Bloom’s taxonomy, before and after using software educational tools. A group of 64 mechanical engineering students from Universidad Santo Tomás (Bogotá, Colombia) were divided into six small groups and participated in three practical sessions. These sessions were designed based upon the guidelines of curricular integration and active learning proposed by CDIO and IT-based education posed by the Colombian Government. In every practical session, students faced a mechanical engineering-related problem, supported by calculus and a specialized software, to solve the problem using the construction of a sciences integration environment emphasizing mathematics. The participants took a couple of similar diagnostic tests before and after each session. Results show 56% of the students have enough skills in problem-solving according to final test results, in comparison with the 38% evidenced in the diagnostic test, proving the convenience of using IT tools in engineering education.
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Copyright (c) 2023 Nicolás Góngora, BSc, Dionisio Humberto Malagón, PhD, Marco Antonio Velasco, PhD