Simulating Remote Support for Mathematical Perseverance Through a Digital Sketching Application

Abstract

This exploratory study showed how a digital sketching application helped keep 4th-grade students engaged with challenging mathematics tasks and support their perseverance to learn mathematics conceptually. The application is currently being developed as a tool based on digital assignments for which students freehand sketch visual representations to solve conceptual fractions tasks. Participants engaged with a simulation of the application and received personalized and conceptual feedback based on their sketching mistakes. Our findings showed that participants were able to leverage such feedback to persevere with the task and make mathematical progress, even at moments when they were most challenged and frustrated.