A MATLAB Supported learning and Students' Conceptual Understanding of Domain and Range of a Function of Two Variables: Wolkite University, Ethiopia

Abstract

A case study design was conducted at Wolkite University to investigate MATLAB supported learning and students' conceptual understanding in learning Applied Mathematics II using four different comparative instructional approaches: MATLAB supported traditional lecture method, MATLAB supported collaborative method, only collaborative method and only traditional lecture method. Four intact classes Mechanical Engineering groups 1 and 2, Garment Engineering and Textile Engineering students were selected by simple random sampling out of eight departments. The first three departments were considered as treatment groups and the fourth one “Textile Engineering” was assigned as a comparison group, randomly. Qualitative data were collected through reasoning part of the multiple choice items of pre-test and interview items of the post-test were analyzed using APOS analysis based on proposed genetic decompositions. The results of the data show that the majority of the students' conceptual understanding lies in action conception. Students' conceptual understanding on domain and range is a straight forward as that of a function of a single variable which reveals that students haven’t developed new schemata for a function of two variables, as different from a function of a single variable. Majority of the respondents were poor on extending a previous concepts to the new concept and had difficulty to represent domain and range using graph. The results also show that there is no difference between students learning through MATLAB supported in combination with collaborative approach and other instructional approaches like MATLAB supported learning in combination with traditional lecture method, traditional lecture method and collaborative method on conceptual understanding. This might be due to lack of students' experience on technology supported learning in such advanced courses. Thus, this study recommends further study on software supported learning in combination with collaborative method for betterment of conceptual understanding.