Digital technologies and the challenge of constructing an inclusive school mathematics

Abstract

This article addresses research related to the use of digital technologies in the teaching and learning of mathematics in Brazil. Its scope is limited to the context of school mathematics and, more specifically, to an ongoing research programme which involves the development of collaborative research partnerships with teachers of mathematics. The paper begins with a brief presentation of the introduction of computers into the Brazilian educational scenario in the 1980s, highlighting how computer technology was heralded as a key to permitting new pedagogical approaches appropriate to the constructivist philosophy of that time. It goes on to consider recent developments in the theoretical frameworks used to interpret mathematics learning in the presence of digital technologies and the importance of focusing on the learning system as a whole, considering epistemological, cognitive and pedagogic dimensions concomitantly. In this vein, it is argued that for any real integration to take place, the mathematical practices afforded by digital tools must be considered legitimate by all the actors in this process and, perhaps most notably, by teachers. The rest of the paper focuses on our approaches to involve teachers in making decisions about technology use in their own classrooms. The strategy used was based on the realisation of research activities underpinned by the idea of the collaborative design of learning situations and the goal of including the wide diversity of learners that characterises Brazilian mathematics classrooms.

Enactivism and ethnomethodological conversation analysis as tools for expanding Universal Design for Learning: the case of visually impaired mathematics students

“…Here, we have argued that elaborating and enhancing UDL with enactivism and ethnomethodological conversation analysis will guide our design and understanding of better solutions able to incorporate current rethinking of what it means for individuals to learn disciplinary concepts and practices. Because educational practice is itself a complex activity system, we imagine that enacting our proposal will require rethinking additional facets, such as assessment and teacher training, as well as continued negotiation of instructional methodology for coordinating multimodal enactment with extant sociocultural practices involving historically evolved mathematical signs (Healy et al 2010). Thus, stemming from this proposal are many new avenues for research and design on this path toward perceptual pluralism in mathematics education.…”

Learning first-year mathematics fully online: Were students prepared, how did they respond?

“…A body of literature exists on the theoretical aspects related to the integration of digital technologies and the challenges of constructing effective online learning environments for mathematics education (e.g., Borba & Villareal, 2005;Drijvers et al, 2009;Healy et al, 2010). One example from a Brazilian study (Healy et al, 2010) is associated with the complexity of introducing new artifacts into the mathematics classroom. It seems that teaching and learning mathematics online can result in new mathematical practices and hence can alter mathematics as a knowledge discipline.…”

“…Some students might find it easier to adapt to changes and others might experience more difficulties, especially in unequal scenarios. Healy et al (2010) mentioned the necessity for fundamental research into the similarities and differences of the mathematical cognition between students. The theme of mathematical cognition is not the primary focus of this paper, rather the active processes from students to control their cognition.…”

Bootstrapping: The Emergent Technological Practices of Post-secondary Students with Mathematics Learning Disabilities

“…In this way, technology can support learning. In recent years, researchers have been investigating the relationships between technology and students with disabilities (e.g., visual impairment; see Abrahamson et al, 2019;Healy, Jahn, & Frant, 2010) and our study builds on this literature through descriptions of how students with LDs may use and adapt technology. With the increased affordances of new media which "can talk, push, and show back" (Sinclair & de Freitas, 2014, p. 363), students and teachers alike are all learning systems becoming more "able" in one way or another through the use of technology, no matter which "abilities" they started with.…”