Is Collaborative Learning a Voluntary Process?

Mathematics learning process in Engineering courses is heavily studied, and the integration of Information and communication technologies (ICT) has grown significantly in recent years. Due to the pandemic, teaching processes were adjusted, and assessments were conducted considering the prevailing context we all encountered. Thus, students need innovative and stimulating teaching and learning practices that quickly motivate and involve them in the teaching/learning processes. In the last two years, ICT tools and digital platforms were extensively used, prompting questions about their optimal and effective utilization. Simultaneously, face-to-face group work and involvement with colleagues’ needs lost some space for achievement and effectiveness. At the study’s outset, the concern was about a potential preference for individual work and reduced solidarity among colleagues, except for possible friendships from previous school groups. Collaborative learning (CL) has been proposed as one of the solutions, with the Padlet platform (Padlet, 2023. Retrieved from http://www.padlet.com ) being a popular tool for facilitating such interactions. In this paper, the authors propose two collaborative learning platforms using Padlet, one for Statistical Methods in Informatics Engineering and other for Mathematical Analysis I, with the aim of creating a space for virtual interaction among students. The study enrols 533 students from Informatics Engineering, many of whom are student workers, and from Mechanical Engineering 20 students, who were divided into small groups to foster teamwork and cooperation. The paper discusses the results such as students’ participation, collaboration with colleagues, and course’ performance, highlighting when it is, or it is not fruitful to use this type of activities.