USE OF INSTAGRAM IN COLLABORATIVE AND VISUAL TEACHING OF MATHEMATICS IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

This is a work in progress, currently at an early stage. The proposal aims at the pedagogical use of Instagram as a complementary tool in the teaching of Mathematics within undergraduate Engineering courses. The initiative is based on the creation of digital content by the students themselves, promoting a more active, visual, and collaborative learning model. The main objective is to explore the educational potential of Instagram, an intuitively used social media platform capable of making the teaching-learning process more engaging and motivating. By participating in the production and public sharing of content, students take on a more dynamic role, which may contribute to increased interest and improved understanding of the topics covered. At this stage, preliminary data from the implementation of this innovative approach in the Bachelor's degrees in Telecommunications and Informatics Engineering and in Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering at the School of Engineering of the Polytechnic Institute of Porto (ISEP – P. Porto) are being analyzed. Preliminary results show that the proposal was widely welcomed by students, reflecting the recognition of social networks as effective educational tools, capable of bringing teaching closer to the digital reality of young people and promoting more motivating and meaningful learning. However, this is an exploratory phase and data continues to be collected and analyzed, with a view to a more robust assessment of the impact of the initiative.