Solving math and science problems in the real world with a computational mind

Abstract

This article presents a new paradigm for the study of Math and Sciences curriculum during primary and secondary education. A workshop for Education undergraduates at four different campuses (n=242) was designed to introduce participants to the new paradigm. In order to make a qualitative analysis of the current school methodologies in mathematics, participants were introduced to a taxonomic tool for the description of K-12 Math problems. The tool allows the identification, decomposition and description of Type-A problems, the characteristic ones in the traditional curriculum, and of Type-B problems in the new paradigm. The workshops culminated with a set of surveys where participants were asked to assess both the current and the new proposed paradigms. The surveys in this study revealed that according to the majority of participants: (i) The K-12 Mathematics curricula are designed to teach students exclusively the resolution of Type-A problems; (ii) real life Math problems respond to a paradigm of Type-B problems; and (iii) the current Math curriculum should be modified to include this new paradigm.

El pensamiento computacional en Educación. Análisis bibliométrico y temático.

“…Cuando se aborda de qué manera incluir el pensamiento computacional en la escuela, surge la necesidad de aclarar que el pensamiento computacional no se limita a la programación o el diseño e implementación de un programa informático (Olabe, Basogain, Olabe, Maíz y Castaño, 2014). El pensamiento computacional amplía las facultades con la ayuda de las herramientas informáticas, donde la imaginación y la creatividad juegan un papel fundamental en las nuevas ideas de los mundos virtuales (Balladares et al , 2016).…”

Integración de Pensamiento Computacional en Educación Básica. Dos Experiencias Pedagógicas de Aprendizaje Colaborativo online

“…Los problemas incluidos en las pruebas estandarizadas, como las del Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), son buenos recursos para investigar esta estructura. Nosotros vamos a denominar a estos problemas: problemas Tipo-A (Olabe, Basogain, Olabe, Maíz & Castaño, 2014). Un ejemplo de problema de la prueba PISA es el siguiente:…”

In Search of a New Space of K-12 Mathematics in the Classroom

“…These scripts constitute the elements of a generative language. When a student solves a mathematical problem such as those of the PISA exam, it follows a process of three steps [19], and the result of this process is a numerical result that describes some property of the topic studied, for example the area or the perimeter of a square. This is the result of using a descriptive language.…”