New Perspectives in Science Education
Exploring Academic Performance in Engineering Calculus: A Comparison of Students in a Selective Academic Program
Abelardo Ernesto Damy-Solís, Tecnologico de Monterrey (Mexico)
Abstract
CATALYST is an academic community for selected engineering students, based on their academic profile, potential, and motivation at our university. It is a selective engineering program that provides students with enhanced academic, professional, and project-based opportunities. Participation in extracurricular activities is optional; however, students must successfully complete their courses and participate in at least eight of these activities to receive the program’s final recognition. Faculty members maintain the same academic standards while encouraging advanced learning and project development. This paper describes and compares the performance of two sections of a mathematics for engineering course taught by the same professor. One section consists exclusively of students enrolled in the CATALYST program, while the other comprises students who are not part of the program. The first-semester “Differential and Integral Calculus” engineering course provides the basic concepts of this branch of Mathematics. Both sections use the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) and the WebAssign platform, which is specially designed for STEM courses. Additionally, since this is the first Mathematics course in the engineering curriculum, every section of this course uses Realizeit (recently merged and rebranded under Skillwell), an advanced AI-powered adaptive learning platform, at the beginning of the semester. Through this platform, students complete a preparatory module designed to ensure mastery of the minimum required prerequisite knowledge in arithmetic, algebra, and trigonometry. Students complete a variety of activities that provide real-time feedback, while instructors can track their performance over time.
Keywords: Educational innovation, adaptive learning, stem education, Engineering Calculus
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