1. Enriching mathematical learning experience using group tasks
Yik Ching Lee (Josh), Matt Wilkins, Emily Saavedra
Massey University

2. Group tasks as guided discovery
Collaboration
Guided
instruction
Teacher support
Student responsibility
You do together
We do
You do
I do
Independent practice
discovery
Modelled instruction

3. Why work in group? construct meaning through communications
strengthen subject knowledge
develop professional skills
Image source:

4. Low-Threshold-High-Ceiling tasks
Image modified from
Relatively simple, yet challenging

5. L T H C Why LTHC tasks? meet the needs of a wide range of learners
capacity to think, reason, and problem solve
positive classroom culture
motivate and challenge learners

6. How? “Enabling prompts”
Image source:

7. How? “Extending prompts”
Image source:

8. Implementing LTHC tasks in classroom
word problems
small groups
a summary activity
Image source:

9. Example of a LTHC task
“Pete's Pastries sells doughnuts and cronuts. Tell Pete the best number of doughnuts and cronuts to make, to maximize his profit. Unfortunately Pete can't make, store, or afford an unlimited number of these yummy pastries, he has a number of constraints:
1. Only enough storage space to keep 140 pastries total.
2. He wants to make at least 36 cronuts since that allows him to fill his cronut display case.
3. Doughnuts cost $2 each to make, cronuts $5 each. He has $610 to buy the ingredients.
4. Pete works really hard, but even so, he only has 6 hours of time available per week to make pastries. Doughnuts require 3 minutes to make, cronuts 2 minutes.”
 Profit is $3 per doughnut and $4 per cronut. So
P = 3x + 4y
Make y the subject, and draw the profit lines for a range of sensible P values to find the profit line that has at least one (x, y) point in the feasible region that is maximizing P.
An example of one of the tasks which required algebra to model inequalities

10. Objective of the study y = mx + c words
Image source:

11. The cohort pre-degree Foundation Mathematics 2 class
PaCE, Massey University, Albany.
international and domestic students.

12. Method
Surveyed 29 students
Overt observations

13. What do students think of group tasks?
Image source:
70% found group tasks useful.
Students showed a high satisfactory level of learning.

14. Student feedback (Positive)
“An activity to interact with classmates and being given a chance to talk about what we understand and what we don't.” Student A
“Allow us to practice what we learned with another brain.” Student B
“Useful when you are unsure about a topic and others in group can help.” Student C
Image source:

15. Social interaction and active learning
Enthusiastic and active about sharing ideas
Social interaction leads to enhanced knowledge
Genuine learning via exchanging ideas.
Image source:

16. For low confident or average students
Inclusive & address learner differences
Opportunity to transform experience into knowledge
A sense of achievement upon completing parts of group tasks

17. For high achieving students
Active engagement
Altruism
Self-efficacy
Positive behaviours
Image source:

18. Student feedback (Negative)
“People work at different pace, hard to collaborate.” Student D
“One person usually dominates, while others slack out.” Student E
“Depends on group members, not all are engaged. Prefer individual task.” Student F
Image source:

19. Factors affecting the success of the use of group tasks
heterogeneous group
relatively ineffective group work
learn about the progress of students
to provide feedback.

20. What is next? narratives performance measures
students’ attitudes prior to the implementation
Image source: