Banca de DEFESA: FÁBIO ANTENOR DOS SANTOS ROCHA

USE OF EXCEL AND VBA IN THE PRODUCTION OF TOOLS FOR TEACHING FUNCTIONS

Mathematics. Educational Technologies. Teaching Functions. Excel with VBA.

The following dissertation presents the development and application of interactive tools created in Excel, intended for use in educational contexts. It suggests methodologies for learning mathematics, focusing mainly on rst-degree (linear) and seconddegree (quadratic) functions. The research is based on the production of dynamic spreadsheets and their potential use in the classroom. These spreadsheets automatically generate graphs as the coecients of the linear and quadratic functions are manipulated. Furthermore, they instantly calculate the roots of the function and the coordinates of the vertex (in the case of the quadratic function). With this more technological and creative approach, the aim is to improve the understanding of the concepts being taught.  The work also details the use of VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) code, cell congurations, and provides a step-by-step guide for building the dynamic spreadsheets. Going a bit further, the dissertation also explores the potential of VBA in other areas beyond education. It also presents practical examples of how to use these tools in the classroom, facilitating their use and implementation by both teachers and students. Finally, the dissertation emphasizes the importance of integrating mathematics and technology, aiming for a teaching approach more closely aligned with computing and technological changes in education.