Addressing learning loss through a mathematical web-app: insights from user behaviour

This study stems from the MaTEs project which aims to address summer learning loss in mathematics through a web-based app designed for pupils and their families. This paper presents some results focusing on the design and use of a web-based app aimed at supporting continuity of engagement with mathematical activities during the summer period. The study conceptualizes learning as a situated and mediated process extending beyond school contexts. The web app offers narrative-based problem-solving activities supported by adult mediation, integrating cognitive, metacognitive, and affective dimensions. Using log data from 315 users, the study adopts a quantitative approach based on Time Series K means clustering to identify patterns of behaviour over the summer period. Four distinct profiles emerge in terms of completion, continuity, and temporal distribution of activity. Findings highlight a general tendency toward non-uniform use, with activity concentrated at the end of the summer, but the largest group corresponding to a regular and sustained pattern of use. Notably, no significant differences are found across profiles in metacognitive reflections, suggesting that discontinuity of use cannot be simply explained by different levels of appreciation or perceived experience. The study sheds light on heterogeneous attitudes towards the summer homework and raises critical questions about how continuity, rather than intensity alone, supports meaningful mathematical learning beyond the classroom.