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In this quantitative study, we investigate the relationship between the conceptions of first-year Engineering Education students about the role of mathematics in their studies and career, as well as the links of their conceptions with their approaches to study. The data analysis revealed that the students view mathematics as being about techniques, models and real-life applications and they conceptualise mathematics as being relevant to their future career and studies, though with a lack of knowledge of the specificities of this role. Nevertheless, the surface approach was correlated with a feeling of certainty with respect to the specific role of mathematics in their future studies and career, whilst the deep approach was found to be linked with a broad importance of mathematics. The implications of these complex findings are discussed.

An online support distance-learning program in Mathematics was developed to aid first year engineering students for their transition from the secondary to the tertiary education in order to reinforce deficiencies they may have in mathematical knowledge. The aim of the present study is to examine, firstly, to what extent the attendance of such a program helped students to familiarize themselves with distance learning programs. In addition, the students' satisfaction with the material of the program was examined as well as their attitudes towards a conventional support learning program in Mathematics. The structure and part of the material developed is presented in detail. The basic methodological tool was an appropriately structured questionnaire. The results indicate that students responded positively to the program, which was a basic way of acquainting themselves with distance learning, and were satisfied with the material. The students' attitudes towards a conventional program was found to be related to their prior experience in distance learning programs. Statistical analysis of the research data yielded 4 basic factors related to the students' beliefs regarding the support online learning program in Mathematics. These factors were student's development and progress, satisfaction with the parts of the online support program, their attitudes towards a conventional program while being in the online support program and their familiarization with online distance education. These factors as well as the targeted identification of the students' needs should be taken under consideration while designing and implementing support online distance learning programs in Mathematics.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has permeated all human activities, bringing about significant changes and creating new scientific and ethical challenges. The field of education could not be an exception to this development. OpenAI's unveiling of ChatGPT, their large language model (LLM), has sparked significant interest in the potential applications of this technology in education. This paper aims to contribute to the ongoing discussion on the role of AI in education and its potential implications for the future of learning by exploring how LLMs could be utilized in the teaching of mathematics in higher education and how they compare to the currently widely used computer algebra systems (CAS) and other mathematical tools. It argues that these innovative tools have the potential to provide functional and pedagogical opportunities that may influence changes in curriculum and assessment approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]