A COMPLEMENTARY STEM TEACHING RESOURCE: APPLICABILITY OF ANALYTICAL-NUMERIC METHODS AND PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE FOR THE ANALYSIS OF ISOSTATIC STRUCTURES

Abstract

The STEM teaching resource can be defined as a tool that aids in the teaching of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Most students see the exact sciences curriculum as boring and of the difficult appliance to life outside the theoretical field. Nevertheless, practical activities can enable students to link what they can see and handle with scientific ideas that account for their observations. Basic knowledge of programming, for example, is part of almost all STEM programs curricula, however, several challenges are reported on the connection of computer simulations with real-life applications. Thus, the objective of this research is to illustrate the applicability of two free-source software (SCILAB and Python) in the resolution of structural analysis problems. The results have shown that both programs are suited for the analysis of isostatic structures. Also, the utilization of the software may help the students to observe and evaluate the behavior of systems under different conditions, providing a true understanding of the studied concepts.