Writing mathematics collaboratively in online workshops

Abstract

This case study examines the changes that were made to workshops for first year mathematics students when moving from in-person to online in the 2020/21 academic year. In the workshops, students tackle unfamiliar problems in small groups, with a focus on group work and mathematical communication skills. Transitioning to online workshops presented several difficulties around how best to enable students to have meaningful mathematical discussions and collaborate in writing their solutions when working online. We discuss the changes and mitigations we implemented in order to move the workshops online and how this will inform future in-person workshops.