Towards the effective use of formal logic in the teaching of discrete math

Traditionally, the teaching of mathematical logic has treated the subject as an object of study without considering its practical utility for improving effective reasoning and writing of mathematical proofs. The Dijkstra/Scholten equational calculus answers these concerns. Its application has given rise to a style of proving called ´the calculational approach´. Courses on discrete mathematics and algorithm´s design have been taught in Colombian higher education institutions with success for more than 3 years. Recently, we have finished the first phase of a software tool for proof processing using this calculus. The goal pursued for this utility is the support of the learning process in these courses as well as to eventually assist in the program design and derivation process. We present instances of the accomplishments of this teaching methodology in terms of elegant proof style; and evidence of the results on teaching quality.