Webbing and orchestration. Two interrelated views on digital tools in mathematics education

TL;DR

This paper explores two interconnected theoretical perspectives, webbing and instrumental orchestration, on digital tools in mathematics education, highlighting their shared importance and evolving differences over recent history.

Contribution

It investigates the relationship between webbing and instrumental orchestration, revealing their convergence and shared future challenges in digital resource organization.

Findings

Both perspectives emphasize the importance of digital tools in mathematics education.

Initial differences between the approaches have become more nuanced over time.

Future challenges involve organizing teachers' collaborative work with digital resources.

Abstract

The integration of digital tools in mathematics education is considered both promising and problematic. To deal with this issue, notions of webbing and instrumental orchestration are developed. However, the two seemed to be disconnected, and having different cultural and theoretical roots. In this article, we investigate the distinct and joint journeys of these two theoretical perspectives. Taking some key moments in recent history as points of de- parture, we conclude that the two perspectives share an importance attributed to digital tools, and that initial differences, such as different views on the role of digital tools and the role of the teacher, have become more nuances. The two approaches share future chal- lenges to the organization of teachers'collaborative work and their use of digital resources.