A Math Cooperative Learning Environment: Ongoing Design

This work illustrates the first step in an overall project aiming to create a hypermedia implementing cooperative type strategies in an environment suitable for learning the minimum prerequisite math knowledge required for entrance to scientific university faculties. By stimulating their mental processes, it should enable students to develop higher level math skills and acquire problem solving abilities. The present paper describes the design of a study of metacognitive processes, set up in problem solving conditions and applied to the math field, supported by online networking technologies. The cultural hypotheses underlying the project are the studies on Cooperative Learning, in general, and on the role of this approach in teaching/learning mathematics, in particular. Reference is made not only to the studies of Vygotsky and Johnson & Johnson, but also to those of Schoenfeld and Cousinet. During presentation of the work at the Congress, the results of the above pilot study, analysing the metacognitive processes adopted by the students during use of the first hypermedia prototype, will be illustrated.