A Model for the Analysis of the Interactions in a Digital Learning Environment During Mathematical Activities

Abstract

AbstractLearning environments are the core of education and the recent digitalization of the learning processes brought the diffusion of Digital Learning Environments (DLE). In this paper we propose a definition and a conceptualization of DLEs and provide a model to analyze the interactions occurring among the members of a DLE during Mathematics activities. The conceptualization is rooted on results from the literature about digital education. The model is applied to analyze the activity of 299 8th grade students when tackling two tasks of algebraic modelling with automatic formative assessment in two different modalities: online and classroom-based. Two episodes have been selected and discussed, with the aim of identifying the interactions through which formative assessment strategies emerge. The results show that all the Black and Wiliam’s strategies of formative assessment are developed during the activities through the interactions among the members of the learning community or with the technologies. This study can be a basis for extending the research in the learning analytics direction, to analyze the interactions during formative activities in large online courses.KeywordsAutomatic formative assessmentDigital learning environmentInteractionsMathematics educationOnline learning