Abstract The concept of subspace, a subset of a vector space with two well-defined operations (sum and product by a scalar), can be considered as one of the most abstract, formal, and difficult concepts to learn by students, in an undergraduate linear algebra course for Science and Engineering programs. This paper presents the results of a case study in which we investigated how by using R^n to teach the concept of subspace, student learning performance can be improved. Our case study involved 36 students in 2 sections of a linear algebra course. One section in which the instructor used a conventional way to approach the subject by using traditional textbook-based lectures and examples, and a second section that uses the approach proposed in this paper. We evaluated the effectiveness of the proposed approach through qualitative evidence gathered by an external observer, the reflection made by the instructor himself, and through two tests that allowed us to assess student performance. The first test (diagnostic) was applied before the intervention to measure the level of attainment of prerequisites. The second test (closure) was applied after the intervention to measure the level of attainment of the learning objectives addressed in the case study. Findings demonstrate that our proposed approach effectively contributed to improve the level of attainment of learning objectives associated with the concept of subspace in linear algebra.