Analysis of Maple-based solutions among first year Civil Engineering students in Calculus 1 assessment

This study investigates the use of Maple, a Computer Algebra System (CAS), by first year Civil Engineering students in Calculus I course at UiTM Cawangan Pulau Pinang, focusing on conceptual understanding and mathematical communication. Using qualitative document analysis, fifteen student Maple assessment scripts were examined to identify patterns of tool usage, procedural accuracy, and conceptual alignment. Findings indicate that while students were generally proficient in executing commands such as diff () and solve (), there was a significant disconnect between symbolic outputs and underlying calculus concepts. Key issues included over reliance on Maple outputs, confusion between the first order and second order derivatives, and incomplete mathematical communication. These results suggest that CAS tools alone do not guarantee conceptual development while guided interpretation and justification are essential for meaningful learning. The study highlights the need for instructional designs that integrate Maple with problem based or inquiry-oriented approaches to foster deeper understanding and higher order thinking skills in introductory engineering mathematics courses.