The Influence of Dynamic Representations in Mobile Applications on Students’ Learning Achievements in Solving Multiple Integrals

Abstract

In this paper, we describe the influence of the implementation of methodology for teaching and learning multiple integrals based on the constructivist approach and the interconnectedness of multiple representations (with an emphasis on dynamic representations) for different mathematical objects using GeoGebra’s applications Graphing Calculator and 3D Calculator. The empirical research was conducted at the University of Kragujevac, Serbia, with two groups (the experimental and the control groups) of second-year students. During the learning process of the experimental group, students created digital materials to visualize the domain of the integration for the concrete tasks, to set the integration bounds, to recognize in which situation they needed to introduce the switch of variables, and all that to solve double or triple integral problems. Students in the control group, on the other hand, didn't use technology of any kind, including the programs Graphing Calculator and 3D Calculator. The findings of the empirical study showed that students' use of these tools to create digital materials improved their academic achievement and their practical and theoretical knowledge of multiple integrals.