MODULE FOR LEARNING INTEGRAL CALCULUS WITH MAPLE: LECTURERS’ VIEWS

Engineering technology students can attain a meaningful mathematics learning if they are allowed to actively participate in hands-on activities. However, the current dissemination of knowledge in the classroom still focuses on teacher-centered paradigm of teaching. A study to explore lecturers’ views regarding a newly developed integral calculus with Maple software module was conducted. Nine lecturers with at least eight years of teaching experience were involved in the evaluation of the module. They were brought to a computer laboratory at the university to evaluate the activities developed in the module using a newly developed manual. Within six hours, they attempted and evaluated the assigned activity in groups. Each of the lecturers wrote his or her comments on the activities, manual and lesson plans booklets. Their comments were qualitatively analyzed to provide a guideline in producing a meaningful module in teaching and learning of integral calculus. From their written comments, there were two main findings obtained. Firstly, they highlighted the importance of giving reflective questions at the end of each subtopic to train the engineering technology students to critically aware about their thinking skills. Secondly, some of the lecturers believed that by giving counter-examples, these students will develop a better conceptual understanding in each newly learnt topic. Apart from these two main findings, other comments were also considered in modifying the manual, lesson plans and set of six integral calculus activities. As a result, a module which emphasized on student-centered learning based on conceptual and procedural understanding and metacognitive awareness teaching approach will be produced. This module will be used to enhance students’ procedural and conceptual understanding in learning integral calculus at the university.