THE USE OF SPREADSHEETS IN THE CLASSROOM TO ACCELERATE AND MOTIVATE ENGINEERING STUDENTS: Practical support to Environment classes on self-purification in rivers

Abstract

Fixing students to technological courses, thussupplying a market short of technical professionals, is achallenge in developing countries. Students with a preferencefor Technology application (rather then pure Science) oftenfind difficulty in “crossing the desert” of two years of basicsubjects. An obvious attempt to fix students to courses is todemonstrate the theory usefulness via application. However,this consumes in-class time and, given the worldwide trend toreduce course duration, becomes even more difficult.Alternatively, how might teachers render homework sointeresting that students continue practice after classes? Aspreadsheet to teach how to simulate river self-purification,combining in-cell formulae (from the theory) and text(completing theory topics), has succeeded towards thisobjective at Engineering schools where the author teaches –as demonstrated here. Their success resides on not having totype formula into calculators, so quickly solving differentexamples of the problem and creating personal variations.

Index Terms - Undergraduate teaching, practical exercise, spreadsheet, environmental science, river water quality.