Interactive WebGL-based 3D visualizations for situated mathematics teaching

Abstract

At institutions of higher education, students often lack certain mathematical knowledge required to cope with the actual course contents. This becomes particularly significant during the introductory phase of highly mathematical degree programs such as engineering sciences. Thus, based on the example of a fundamentals of electrical engineering course, the authors developed a blended learning scenario which facilitates imparting mathematical expertise within the situated context of this specialist subject. A critical element of this approach is the abundant use of interactive web application-based 3D visualizations. This allows for clarifying complex mathematical problem statements within comparably short periods of time. In this paper, the technical implementation of the web applications using JavaScript and WebGL with their corresponding advantages are described. Additionally, their utilization is discussed with regard to didactic considerations. A questionnaire-based evaluation with respect to students' acceptance of the visualizations and its influence on examination performance was carried out and concluding results are presented.