Assessment of digital and mathematical problem-solving competences development

Problem-solving and digital competences assume an essential role in developing students' life-long learning competences. An effective tool to support problem-solving activities is an Advanced Computing Environment (ACE). An ACE is a system that allows to perform numerical and symbolic calculation, make graphical representations, and create mathematical simulations through interactive components. Moreover, it is able to support students in reasoning processes, in the formulation of exit strategies and in the generalization of the solution. The main goal of this paper is to study the development of problem-solving and digital competences of secondary school students solving problems with an ACE in a Digital Learning Environment (DLE). The research question is: "How can we evaluate the evolution of students' problem solving and digital competences during the online training?”. To answer the research question, the resolutions of 158 grade 12 students to ten problems carried out during an online training were analyzed. The research methodology was divided into three phases: the analysis of a case study; the analysis of all student evaluations; the analysis of students' answers to a final questionnaire. The results show that solving contextualized problems with the ACE in a DLE enhanced the students' problem-solving and digital competences.