EJMT Abstract

For university students of the 2020s, visual experiences play a central role in their daily lives and learning habits. Our experience suggests that traditional teaching methods, such as using lengthy texts, are less effective for this generation. We hypothesize that a curriculum incorporating visual elements, diagrams, and dynamic teaching materials enables more efficient education. Spectacular, interactive learning tools not only make teaching engaging but also facilitate the acquisition of new knowledge through direct experiences and active participation.

To test this, we conducted an experiment at the University of Szeged, comparing two introductory mathematics courses: the Mathematics Teacher Training Program (experimental group) and the Mathematics BSc Program (control group). Our findings indicate that the use of visual and interactive tools significantly improved students’ performance. This article presents opportunities for applying visual teaching aids in various topics aiming to enhance the learning process’s efficiency and the experiment’s results.

To our knowledge, this is the first study in Hungary that comprehensively examines the impact of visual tools on university-level mathematics education over an entire semester, rather than focusing on a short specific topic.