Learning of graphical and algebraic interpolations. Comparative analysis

Abstract

In this paper we present an empirical study on the Graphical and Algebraic interpola-tion/extrapolation with students of High School of Social Sciences. We prove that, if the problem of the interpolation/extrapolation of a function is addressed with specific instructions and the appropria¬te graphical templates, the graphical interpolation and extrapolation are easier for students than the algebraic, obtaining a positive meaningful difference in the academic results with the graphic method. Furthermore, when students interpolate/extrapolate algebraically, the difficulty of the resolution de¬pends on function type and the number and type of parameters, while in the case of graphical inter-polation/extrapolation this dependency doesn’t happen.