Teaching Calculus with
NASA via PBL Techniques
Gloria Elena Faus Landeros
Senior High School and University
Asssociate Professor
Context
• Teaching differential calculus and integral calculus
• Integrating in the formal academic curriculum climate
change phenomena problems that students solve with
NASA’s Mission Satellites
•
Continuously Using Problem Based Learning (PBL) for
nearly a decade
Context
• The NASA education project began only with the solution of a
problem. Actually it conforms three parts:
•
1.- Solving the problem by using the bibliographic investigation
through the PBL didactic technique
• 2.- Learning with NASA professors and scientists for three days
during the Symposium
• 3.- Field trips where the students complement their knowledge in
the place where they can observe the true natural phenomena.
¿What we are learning with NASA professors and scientists?
Relevant Facts
• Students profile:
–
Average grade more than 85%
–
High level in English
–
Skills in technology
• Scenarios are designed according to students’ characteristics
• Rubrics of PBL solution followed
•
Students foment collaborative work, responsibility and selflearning using PBL
•
NASA Scientists help learning during the solution of the problem
Colima’s Volcano PBL Scenario
NASA invites you to make a mathematical model that
represents the implication of an eruption and/or emission of
aerosols or gas particles by the “Volcán de Colima” to the
Solar intensity incident to Earth's surface. Identifying what
could be the consequences in our planet
PBL Solution
African Dust PBL Scenario
• NASA invited us to construct a math model that illustrates
if African dust affects the Caribbean weather, and what
possible consequences in the generation of weather
phenomena and climate change could exist
PBL Solution
Conclusion
• Students learning perception:
– Translating the information from a real incident to the
language of math in order to understand better the
phenomena implies the students’ additional efforts and
participation
during
their
learning
processes
aquiring
enhanced knowledge to learn more in less time. Challenging
PBL implementation surges motivation for students to
thoroughly investigate their calculus and science expertise
Conclusion
•
Mathematically speaking, the models presented were different bearing
reason that the teams found varying information and alternative math
procedures. This learning was interesting for the students, motivating
them when they compared their different solution processes, yet arriving
at similar conclusions
•
The
student´s learning cannot be limited to the knowledge of the
professor when applying PBL to NASA projects knowing that cognition is
multi-level and mutli-disciplinary.
•
The math applications to resolve real world problems denotes significant
learning refinine other cognitive skills