Technology-Supported Face-to- Face Small-Group Collaborative Formative Assessment and Its Integration in the Classroom

___S ___E ___L The integration of technologies into school learning processes is motivated not only by their central role in the worlds of work and knowledge but also by their potential as mediators of social relations. They bring powerful tools to the task of converting classroom experiences into interactive and collaborative ones that deliver a range of pedagogical benefi ts (Wood & Malley, 1996). As Postholm (2007) has stated, the question is not whether information communication technologies (ICTs) can offer the teaching and learning activity but rather how teachers and pupils can approach and use this mediating artifact and benefi t from it in their work. Since ICT resources are found mainly in computer laboratories, activities built around these technologies imply a change in the natural context of classroom teaching and tend to focus on the purely technological aspects (Reynolds, Treharne, & Tripp, 2003). In this sense, the technologies are not truly integrated into the classroom teaching dynamic, and this may limit their impact on teaching styles traditionally used in schools (Watson, 2001). The role of ICTs in education can be described in terms of the following categories: broadening classroom resources and reference; enhancing working processes and products; mediating subject thinking and learning; fostering more independent pupil activity; and improving pupil 11 Technology-Supported Face-toFace Small-Group Collaborative Formative Assessment and Its Integration in the Classroom