The use of integrals in Mechanics of Materials textbooks for engineering students: the case of the first moment of an area

Alejandro Gonzalez-Martin (1)

1 UdeM - Université de Montréal

Research has reported on the difficulties engineering students face in relating the content of their mathematics courses to what is taught in their professional courses. One way to address these difficulties is by better understanding how mathematical notions are used in professional engineering courses. This paper analyses how the notion of first moment of an area – which is defined as an integral – is used in civil engineering courses. Basing our analysis on elements from the anthropological theory of the didactic, we are currently analysing a classic Mechanics of Materials book. Our findings indicate that although first moments are introduced as an integral, the textbook's tasks do not require students to use techniques typically introduced in a traditional calculus course.

Mots clés: textbooks; anthropological theory of the didactic; first moment of an area.; Mathematics for engineers; teaching and learning of analysis and calculus

Domaines: Education; Histoire et perspectives sur les mathématiques [math.HO]

Alejandro Gonzalez-Martin. The use of integrals in Mechanics of Materials textbooks for engineering students: the case of the first moment of an area. INDRUM 2018, INDRUM Network, University of Agder, Apr 2018, Kristiansand, Norway. ⟨hal-01849540⟩