Introducing chaos theory in the classroom: A life sciences students’ perception.

Authors : João Perea Martins, Eduardo Oyanedel, Ricardo Campossoto

Pages : 275-294

Doi:10.24331/ijere.1502724

View : 60 | Download : 82

Publication Date : 2024-10-18

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This article details a concise in-class workshop to introduce life science students to basic chaos theory concepts, which is a modern subject and has high potential for applications in life sciences and other fields, justifying its knowledge. The teaching approach is based on a pragmatic strategy that uses only the essential mathematical and computing concepts required to reach the learning outcome, which this article explains step-by-step and, therefore, at least in expectation, even students or professors with no previous software knowledge could understand them. The proposed educational approach uses a meaningful learning approach, and population growth models as an educational anchor subject, which is a common subject for life science students and may be intuitive for students from other areas. Feedback from 70 students surveyed after the workshop yielded positive results, and 72.9% of the students expressed confidence in explaining basic chaos theory concepts following the session, and 94.7% stated they would recommend it to their peers, which underscores the present proposal feasibility.
Keywords : Science teaching, Chaos theory, Population growth, Butterfly effect