Simon Barlovits

Mobile math trail apps are used to support outdoor mathematics learning, yet empirical evidence on how students perceive specific app features remains limited. This study investigates students’ perception when completing outdoor math trails supported by the mobile app MathCityMap . Using a mixed-methods design, data were collected from 77 students in grades 3 to 8 participating in an extracurricular enrichment programme. Quantitative data were collected using an adapted Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) questionnaire, complemented by open-ended questions that captured students’ positive and negative perceptions. Descriptive analyses and a cluster analysis were conducted to identify patterns of how students perceive mobile learning outdoors. These were subsequently interpreted through qualitative content analyses. Results show a high overall acceptance of the app across all grade levels. Two distinct clusters emerged: one characterized by very high acceptance and a consistently positive attitude towards app-supported math trails, and one showing moderate but still positive acceptance. Qualitative findings indicate that students particularly valued structured task presentation, navigation support, and feedback features such as hints. At the same time, navigation accuracy emerged as the most prominent point of criticism. Furthermore, task characteristics were found to play a central role in shaping students’ perceptions despite technical aspects. Overall, the findings suggest that students’ perception with mobile math trail apps is shaped by the interaction between app features and task design. The study provides empirical insights into students’ perceptions of mobile math trail apps and offers implications for the implementation of outdoor mobile learning environments in mathematics education.

The COVID-19-induced distance education was perceived as highly challenging by teachers and students. A cross-national comparison of five European countries identified several challenges occurred during the distance learning period. On this basis, the article aims to develop a theoretical framework and design requirements for distance and online learning tools. As one example for online learning in mathematics education, the ASYMPTOTE system is introduced. It will be freely available by May 2022. ASYMPTOTE is aimed at the adaptive and synchronous delivery of online education by taking a mobile learning approach. Its core is the so-called digital classroom, which not only allows students to interact with each other or with the teacher but also enables teachers to monitor their students’ work progress in real time. With respect to the theoretical framework, this article analyses to what extent the ASYMPTOTE system meets the requirements of online learning. Overall, the digital classroom can be seen as a promising tool for teachers to carry out appropriate formative assessment and—partly—to maintain personal and content-related interaction at a distance. Moreover, we highlight the availability of this tool. Due to its mobile learning approach, almost all students will be able to participate in lessons conducted with ASYMPTOTE.

In 2020, Germany and Spain experienced lockdowns of their school systems. This resulted in a new challenge for learners and teachers: lessons moved from the classroom to the children’s homes. Therefore, teachers had to set rules, implement procedures and make didactical–methodical decisions regarding how to handle this new situation. In this paper, we focus on the roles of mathematics teachers in Germany and Spain. The article first describes how mathematics lessons were conducted using distance learning. Second, problems encountered throughout this process were examined. Third, teachers drew conclusions from their mathematics teaching experiences during distance learning. To address these research interests, a questionnaire was answered by N = 248 teachers (N₁ = 171 German teachers; N₂ = 77 Spanish teachers). Resulting from a mixed methods approach, differences between the countries can be observed, e.g., German teachers conducted more lessons asynchronously. In contrast, Spanish teachers used synchronous teaching more frequently, but still regard the lack of personal contact as a main challenge. Finally, for both countries, the digitization of mathematics lessons seems to have been normalized by the pandemic.