Teaching and learning mathematics through the 'Rurashpa Yachakuy. Learn by doing' laboratory

Abstract

The teaching-learning process of mathematics requires tools and instruments that serve as a guide and support to the teacher, for which the Laboratory ‘Rurashpa Yachakuy. Learning by doing’ from the UNAE arises to respond to that need of the contemporary teacher to develop logical mathematical thinking in students and answer the question What is learning mathematics and how do we learn? The methodology of ‘Learning by doing’ or in the Kichwa language ‘Ruraspha Yachacuy’ has a constructivist philosophy that starts from the traditional activities (sowing, harvesting, customs, others) that the Andean culture of Ecuador performs. Thus, the laboratory admits a dialectical relationship between mathematical knowledge and concrete manipulative materials. So, the students and future teachers in formation of the UNAE develop a significant learning of mathematics away from techniques or traditional methodologies of the memorization of algorithms and repetitions of formulas without a sense.