Analyzing students' interaction with a 3D geometry learning tool and their teacher

Abstract

Abstract This article reports on a study of students' interaction with technology, peers, and their teacher when working with geometry. The aim of this study is to understand how the interaction and the designed artifact contribute to changes in understanding of geometrical concepts. These changes are seen as students' emerging properties accomplished in social interaction with the designed artifacts and the teacher. Using descriptive statistics from pre- and posttests, we identify that students' overall score improves. Based on the pre–post score, we analyze interactions and the products of two student dyads with different learning outcomes. We combine types of data and units of analysis. Through the descriptive statistics, we derive the variations within the school class. Through the social interaction, we can identify patterns that can give new insight into how and why students develop their understanding of geometrical concepts. The analysis of the interaction shows that the teaching strategy differs based on the students' participation and display of knowledge, and the features in the designed artifact invoked in the interaction. We use a socio-cultural perspective, which makes it possible to analyze the data at different levels and discuss how it can give a robust and valid understanding of students' learning.