An approach to applied mathematics in virtual environments in a higher education institution

Abstract

Contextualizing Mathematics in Higher Education is the teacher's task when teaching to generate significant learning. The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) mentions that in “Ecuador there is a high proportion of students who perform below the basic level in Mathematics (70.9%)” (INEVAL, 2018, p. 44). One of the factors of the problem arises from the teaching of mathematics decontextualized from the student's physical world, that is, mathematics that is learned without meaning or use. This research aimed to develop contextualization in the classroom using the method of solving contextualized problems with the topic of factorization to measure its  impact on learning. Among the results, the intervention carried out allowed an increase in the average compared to traditional teaching, thus converging on significant long-term learning in the students thanks to contextualization. Thus, contextualization together with the method of solving contextualized problems contributed significantly to the teaching-learning process. For current times, the teacher must uproot himself from traditional teaching-learning methods and embark on new teaching processes, processes that generate significant long-term learning.