Dr Igor' Kontorovich

Opening the “Black Box” of Students’ Learning with Computer-based Automatic Feedback: The Case of Collaborative Undergraduate Math

Mathematical and scientific knowledge have been recognized as necessary skills in the 21st century. The project will advance the understanding of how technology can facilitate these skills in the tertiary context. The project combines my expertise in basic research on learning with the hosts’ expertise in computer-assisted STEM education. The project will investigate the processes that unfold when students collaboratively engage with mathematical problems in a digital environment and receive automated feedback (AF). The positive impact of AF on individual learning has been acknowledged, but the mechanisms of students’ interactions with it remain unexplored. This basic research aims to understand how AF impacts learning. The participants are small groups of undergraduate students in Auckland and Edinburgh. The group discourse and individual thinking will be analysed with attention to cognitive, meta-cognitive, social, and affective issues. The project expands our previous work and will be a springboard to new collaborations.