GROUP WORK WITH MULTIMEDIA IN MATHEMATICS - CONTRASTING PATTERNS OF INTERACTION

This paper outlines the use of the UK National Curriculum Council spon sored multimedia package World of Number with a Year 9 mathematics cla ss. The classroom research was conducted in a South Yorkshire comprehe nsive school during the Spring term of 1994. The class worked on graph s of relationships between distance, speed and time. The resulting act ivity is illustrated through examples of the discourse from some of th e groups working on the multimedia-based activities. Despite initial i mpressions of effective collaboration contrasting patterns of interact ion are highlighted, with some examples of rich interaction about the problem in several cases but also with examples of much lower levels o f engagement with the problem in others.