An Online Collaborative Approach for Fostering Argumentative Thinking in Mathematics

Dello Iacono, U;Pierri, A;Polo, M

2021-01-01

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Abstract

Many literature studies point out how the process that moves the student from personal reasoning to the arrangement of fruitful argument could help her in the development of mathematical argumentative thinking. Starting from the above assumptions, in this paper we investigate the interaction among teacher/researcher and students in a Digital Interactive Storytelling in Mathematics (DIST-M) environment. The students, by interacting with their peers through the e-learning environment, explain their own reasoning and conjectures concerning the solution of an algebraic modelling problem. A qualitative analysis, starting from an experimentation with high school students, show how tools and participants (acting as mediators in the interaction with the DIST-M environment) contribute to improving the students critical mathematical thinking and to developing argumentative mathematical competence.