IU Researchers Develop Interactive Tool to Let Students Play with Math

A new, free learning tool coming out of Indiana University Bloomington aims to make static math problems easier for students to solve.

IU researchers formed the education technology startup Graspable Math to deliver their technology to algebra classrooms. The application can be accessed via web browser and used as both a teacher presentation tool — where the teacher is standing in front of a smartboard or projector — or a homework tool for students to receive immediate, step-by-step feedback.

Graspable essentially allows students to rearrange terms on the screen to solve math equations, recording and sharing all of the steps they take to arrive at their answer with the teacher.

“Graspable Math turns alegra into a real thing that you can interact with, and that's something fantastic for students, who can actually now go and explore algebra,” said Erik Weitnauer, research associate and co-founder of Graspable.

The United States Department of Education funded the IU research project to develop interventions that would help students see the dynamic properties of algebra the way that experts do. The Graspable team is working with schools in Massachusetts, Virginia and Indiana to study how kids learn.

About the Author

Sri Ravipati is Web producer for THE Journal and Campus Technology. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • image of a white AI chip with circuit lines, flanked by interlocking gears and a neural network brain icon

    Researchers Develop AI-Powered Method for Business Process Redesign

    Researchers have developed a novel AI-powered approach that enables non-technical users to modify complex process models through simple conversations with chatbots.

  • college students in a classroom focus on a silver laptop, with a neural network diagram on the monitor in the background

    Report: 93% of Students Believe Gen AI Training Belongs in Degree Programs

    The vast majority of today's college students — 93% — believe generative AI training should be included in degree programs, according to a recent Coursera report. What's more, 86% of students consider gen AI the most crucial technical skill for career preparation, prioritizing it above in-demand skills such as data strategy and software development.

  • abstract AI pattern

    Meta Forms 'Superintelligence Group' to Pursue Artificial General Intelligence

    Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is assembling a new team focused on achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI), amid internal dissatisfaction with the performance of its current AI offerings. The team, known internally as the superintelligence group, is part of a broader effort to enhance Meta’s AI capabilities.

  • college student working on a laptop, surrounded by icons representing campus support services

    National U Launches Student Support Hub for Non-Traditional Learners

    National University has launched a new student support hub designed to help online and working learners balance career, education, and family responsibilities as they pursue their education. Called "The Nest," the facility is positioned as a "co-learning" center that provides wraparound support services, work and study space, and access to child care.