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The Potential of Support-Rich Environment for Teaching Meaningful Mathematics to Low-Achieving Students

Authors:
Yifat Ben-David Kolikant
Orit Broza

Keywords: low-achieving students; support-rich environment; computer games; scaffoldings; computer-supported collaborative learning

Abstract:
We have designed a collaborative, computer-supported, rich environment to promote meaningful mathematics among low-achieving students (LAS). Fifth-grade students interchangeably solved decimal subtraction tasks with peers in the context of a computer game and simulations, and in discussion sessions, led by their teachers, in foursomes. We describe the results of the first round of our design-based research, where we traced three such groups, using observations and interviews. We found that the computer context was both constructive and destructive, in terms of students’ learning. The group discussions did not yield the rich discussions we had hoped for. Yet, overall, the environment was successful because students gained meaningful mathematical knowledge and practiced active, thoughtful, and collaborative socio-mathematical behavior, which is dramatically different from what they were used to.

Pages: 13 to 18

Copyright: Copyright (c) IARIA, 2018

Publication date: March 25, 2018

Published in: conference

ISSN: 2308-4367

ISBN: 978-1-61208-619-4

Location: Rome, Italy

Dates: from March 25, 2018 to March 29, 2018