EXPIRED Synchronous Collaborative Mathematics Learning in Early Primary School Grades: Challenges and Opportunities

This paper presents the results of a mobile learning research project in Croatia, Europe with a special focus on synchronous collaborative in-class learning. As part of the project, technology for learning mathematics in pairs and triplets was developed and used in first, second and third primary school grades in a neighborhood primary school in Croatia. Students were learning through digital lessons by engaging in group work in different roles: editors and checkers when learning in pairs ; and authors, editors and checkers when learning in triplets. Digital lessons were co-designed with the help of primary school teachers so that the contents were aligned with the lesson plans and the curriculum. The collected software logs and classroom observation data was then triangulated with the student background information consisting of their academic success and engagement. On a macro level, the analysis shows that students, even first-graders, are able to successfully engage in synchronous collaborative math learning. Results indicate the need for a more adaptive group and role assignment mechanisms to better support learners in different tasks and stages of their learning.