Productive Struggle in the Digital Space

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    Productive struggle is often framed as something that happens away from technology, as if meaningful thinking only occurs when students are working with pencil and paper. In reality, struggle does not disappear in a technology-rich classroom. Instead, it changes shape. When digital tools are used thoughtfully, they can create conditions where students wrestle with ideas rather than bypass them.

    Technology like Desmos, GeoGebra, and several others, have the potential to slow students down in productive ways. Instead of immediately confirming whether an answer is correct, dynamic visuals and interactive elements invite students to notice patterns, test assumptions, and reconsider their reasoning. They can help students work towards the correct answer on their own, rather than being only correct or incorrect. Students may adjust a slider, observe an unexpected change, and then pause to ask why the graph, shape, or simulation behaves the way it does. This kind of struggle is not about being stuck, but about making sense of something unfamiliar.

    Struggle in a digital space often requires a different set of skills. Students must interpret visual information, decide which variables matter, and connect what they see on the screen to underlying mathematical ideas that are reflected in the real world. These moments demand perseverance, flexibility, and critical thinking; especially when the technology does not guide them directly toward a solution. Rather than reducing cognitive demand, well-designed digital tasks can increase it by encouraging exploration and revision.

    For teachers, supporting productive struggle with technology means being intentional. It involves choosing tools and tasks that prompt thinking rather than provide answers, and resisting the urge to intervene too quickly when students appear uncomfortable. How teachers frame these moments matters; struggle should be positioned as a normal and valuable part of learning, not as a sign that something has gone wrong.

    When technology is used in this way, it becomes more than a convenience. It becomes a space where students learn to sit with uncertainty, test ideas, and trust their own reasoning. Productive struggle can remain at the center of learning, even with the use of technology, it simply unfolds through a different medium.

Annika Bruner


Resources: 

“Productive Struggle” as an Effective Strategy in Elementary Math Classrooms | International Journal of the Whole Child

Productive Struggle - National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

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