Analysis of a Mathematical Model. Opportunities for the Training of Food Engineering Students

Abstract

International research has revealed different roles of mathematics in the practices of engineers and some implications of mathematics teaching for engineering students. Modeling and mathematical models have proven to be valuable tools for their professional work and for their teaching process. This study identifies opportunities offered by a process of analysis of a mathematical model in the training of engineers. For this analysis, an interpretation of mathematical models as an object–user–representation triad was used; mathematical models were also considered a pedagogical approach to mathematics teaching. Based on this approach, a qualitative study was developed. A teaching experiment was designed, in which, through a set of tasks, the analysis of a model describing the percentage of moisture removed in a radial airflow food dryer is considered. Results show that students evidenced a comprehension of the model function as a covariation relationship and implemented strategies for understanding it through the graphs in the model. The situated character of students’ reasoning and their experience with professional practices of engineers are also highlighted.

Diseño y validación de rúbrica para la evaluación de modelación matemática en alumnos de secundaria

“…Según estas investigaciones, el papel que tienen las matemáticas en el aula y en el campo laboral parece estar disociado (Sepúlveda et al, 2020;Rendón-Mesa et al, 2016;Rosa y Orey, 2010). Las características que se observan en los problemas cotidianos y los problemas laborales son muy diferentes a los problemas que abordan las matemáticas escolares y, por lo mismo, no son adecuadas para facilitar la solución de problemas en el entorno laboral (Pertamawati y Retnowati, 2019).…”

Experimentação em atividades de Modelagem Matemática no Curso de Licenciatura em Química

“…Nesta direção, a Modelagem Matemática, enquanto alternativa pedagógica (Almeida et al, 2012), tem se destacado em disciplinas do Ensino Superior, tanto no contexto da formação de professores (Almeida e Silva, 2017;Rosa e Orey, 2019;Sánchez-Cardona et al, 2021;Silva et al, 2018), quanto em outras áreas do conhecimento, como Engenharias (Almeida et al, 2021;González et al, 2022;López et al, 2017;Sepúlveda et al, 2020). No que tange a outras áreas do conhecimento, de forma geral, o desenvolvimento de atividades de modelagem ocorrem extraclasse, seja em projetos extracurriculares (Almeida et al, 2021;González et al, 2022;Sepúlveda et al, 2020) ou trabalhos em que os alunos PNA 17 (2) precisam desenvolver a atividade como requisito para conclusão de alguma disciplina (Almeida et al, 2021;López et al, 2017).…”