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Researching online mathematics education: opening a space for virtual learner identities

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Abstract

This paper is drawn from a doctoral thesis (Rosa, 2008) that examines the relations established between the construction of online identities and the teaching and learning of the definite integral concept in an online learning course. The role-playing game (RPG) is played out through chat and calls for the creation of characters (online identities) by each player. In the research process on online learning in mathematics education, Rosa (2008) discusses the role of the construction of online identities. We characterise how this process, in a general way, draws on qualitative research processes and, in a specific way, is linked to the construction of mathematical knowledge in cyberspace. We discuss who the research subjects are in mathematics education research. The results suggest that: (a) cyberspace is a natural environment in an online RPG context; (b) the playful process in online learning in mathematics education brings important new aspects to our understanding of mathematical knowledge as a social construction; (c) the investigation becomes a game; (d) research subjects are who they want to be while they are in flow, that is, there is intentionality; (e) the challenge of research methodology inside cyberspace must be faced by researchers; and (f) the researcher needs to consider those different identities as integral to the research process.

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Notes

  1. The profile is a character sheet. This is used in RPG to start the construction of a character. In RPG, there are some systems which use specific character sheets. In Rosa (2008), the character sheet was created because the existing systems were not completely adequate for the purposes of the study.

  2. We use the word ‘river’ because the students used that during the course. Although the word ‘dam’ had been shown in the adventure synopsis, this element of the scenario was understood as a river.

  3. TelEduc has free distribution http://www.nied.unicamp.br.

  4. http://www.cnpt.embrapa.br/sist-prod/soja04/; http://www.seprotec.com.br/prod_soja.asp.

  5. “Software of architecture and civil engineering. It is available by Pini Engenharia, demo version in http://www.pini.com.br” (Azevedo, 2006; p.2, footnote).

  6. As the objective of the article is not to analyse the language used in the chat, we eliminated all spelling and typing mistakes. However, we kept the way the online identities expressed their thoughts; also recall that the Master was the researcher-teacher.

  7. A non-player character is an online identity conducted by the master of the game whereas the player character (PC) is conducted by a player in RPG.

  8. As was mentioned, the researcher took many identities, among them Gabriela. She was a student just like the others. The researcher used two computers in the data collection; in one computer he was the master of the RPG and in another he conducted this online identity like any other student/participant.

  9. We understand the notion of game as Huizinga (1993, p. 33) who affirms that the game is “[…] a voluntary activity or occupation, which is exerted in a degree of time and space, along freely consenting and absolutely mandatory, with an end in itself, an activity with a sense of tension and joy, and a consciousness of being that is different from that of everyday life”.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Professor of the Graduate Program in Sciences and Mathematics Education, Lutheran University of Brazil, Canoas, RS, Brazil

    Maurício Rosa

  2. Professor of the Faculty of Arts and Humans Science, London South Bank University, London, UK

    Stephen Lerman

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  1. Maurício Rosa
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  2. Stephen Lerman
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Correspondence to Maurício Rosa.

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Rosa, M., Lerman, S. Researching online mathematics education: opening a space for virtual learner identities. Educ Stud Math 78, 69–90 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-011-9310-9

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