How will mathematics education change with the rise of A.I. tutors?

Abstract: I have been advising two students, Tomas Nepala and Tunga Bayrak, who have created MotionShark, which is a software that generates video explanations of mathematical problems. This type of technology prompts significant questions about the future role of mathematics educators and the evolution of teaching methods.

After Tomas and Tunga exhibit the current capabilities of their evolving technology, I will give a presentation on some challenges that I think the mathematics education community must brace itself for in the wake of this type of technology. Navigating such challenges requires an active input of mathematicians and this talk is meant to start that conversation at an international level. I will share my vision on how to integrate this type of technology into lower-level mathematics classes in healthy ways, and how I see the scope of such classes adapting and evolving in a future where I argue the context of mathematics will become more important to teach than actual methods of problem solving.

My goal is to start this conversation that will hopefully keep going offline after the talk has ended, since we as a community ought to better understand in a timely manner the directions in which mathematics education will change in the wake of this and similar technologies in near future. The talk will be moderated by Daniel Filonik who is a postdoc at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and foreign guest researcher at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Daniel specializes in data visualization and human computer interaction. His current work is focused on natural interfaces for interactive data modeling and analysis with formal foundations in category theory.

Computer scienceMathematics

Audience: researchers in the topic

( slides | video )

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Relatorium seminar

Series comments: The name "Relatorium" combines "relator" with the Latin root "-ium," meaning "a place for activities" (as in "auditorium" or "gymnasium"). This seminar series is a platform to relate ideas, interact with math, and connect with each other.

In this series, we explore math beyond what we usually hear in standard talks. These sessions fall somewhere between a technical talk and a podcast: moderately formal, yet conversational. The philosophy behind the series is that math is best learned by active participation rather than passive listening. Our aim is to “engage and involve,” inviting everyone to think actively with the speaker. The concepts are accessible, exploratory, and intended to spark questions and discussions.

The idea of relatability has strong ties to compassion — creating space for shared understanding and exploration - which is the spirit of this seminar! This is a pilot project, so we’re here to improvise, learn, and evolve as we go!

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