Mathematical Knowledge Construction through the use of Guided Collaborative Critique in a Quasi- Synchronous Chat Environment

The study of the process of meaning making is central to Computer Support Collaborative Learning (CSCL). Jurong Junior College and the National Institute of Education (Singapore) Learning Sciences Laboratory have recently conducted several collaborative maths problem solving sessions using the Virtual Math Team Chat, a quasi-synchronous chat medium used to facilitate the process of mathematical knowledge construction. The maths problems were designed based on the Guided Collaborative Critique (GCC) framework. The GCC framework requires students to analyse maths problems with "solutions" that contained conceptual or oversight errors, critique these problems with mathematical arguments and amend the "solutions" collaboratively. Our past research focused on the analysis of face to face (FTF) social interaction of groups working on maths problems using the GCC framework in traditional classrooms setting. In this study, the GCC framework is extended to the VMT chat medium which consists of a shared whiteboard, chat message box and tools for students to construct mathematical representations. The analyses of these sessions were based on the Collaboration Interaction Model (CIM), a model designed to study the knowledge construction process of complex chat transcripts. This paper will mainly discuss how participants mediate shared understanding of mathematical representations and form mathematical arguments to construct new knowledge in the chat medium, using the CIM as the key instrument of analysis.