Cálculo em HQs : histórias em quadrinhos como linguagem pedagógica no ensino de Engenharia

Abstract

This article presents a qualitative pedagogical experience report developed in Calculus teaching within Engineering programs, in which Comics (graphic narratives) were used as a pedagogical language and as a mediating device for learning and formative assessment. The study aimed to analyze the potential of comics as an inclusive and innovative pedagogical practice, capable of fostering student participation, authorship, and the construction of mathematical meanings without compromising the conceptual rigor of the content. The proposal was structured around four articulating axes — Didactization, Challenge, Drawing, and Diagnosis — integrating students’ authorial production with teaching observation through participant observation. The empirical corpus consisted of approximately 100 individually produced comics and was analyzed using Bardin’s Content Analysis. The results indicate increased cognitive and expressive student engagement, expansion of semiotic representation modes of mathematical concepts, and strengthening of active participation in the learning process. Comics function as semiotic mediators that support the re-signification of abstract concepts and foster more dialogical pedagogical practices sensitive to cognitive diversity. It is concluded that the articulation between art, language, and Mathematics expands the methodological repertoire of higher education, contributing to contemporary debates on formative assessment, student authorship, and the humanization of Engineering education. Keywords: Comic books. Mathematics Education. Calculus. Higher Education. Formative Assessment. Innovative methodologies