Dept of Mathematics Education seminar: 10 December 2025

Presentations by Leonardo Barichello, University of São Paulo and Korbinian Moeller, Loughborough University

MS Teams link

[14:00-15:00] (40 mins Presentation + 20 mins Q&A):  Leonardo Barichello 

Department of Mathematics, University of São Paulo

[leobarichello@ime.usp.br]  

Designing an intervention for Brazilian low achieving math students in transition from primary to secondary school

Abstract

In this session, I will present the development, design principles, and main decisions of a design research project aimed at supporting low achieving students in mathematics during their transition from primary to secondary school in Brazil. Issues related to fluency, the use of algorithms, and reasoning will be presented and discussed in light of findings from other research, particularly studies focusing on low-achieving students.

[16:00-17:00]  (40 mins Presentation + 20 mins Q&A): Korbinian Moeller

Loughborough University

[ K.Moeller@lboro.ac.uk]

From basic mathematical skills to generative AI - My Loughborough Journey

Abstract

My time at the Department for Mathematics Education at Loughborough University will come to an end soon. Therefore, I want to take this opportunity to conclude my time here by a synthesis of what I worked on with and learned from colleagues while affiliated to Loughborough. This includes - but is not limited to - work on embodied and game-based learning of basic mathematical skills suggesting that finger-based activities and spatial language training work. Moreover, we found that math games increase mastery experience in children with dyscalculia. The latter nevertheless causes considerable limitations to the lives of affected individuals persisting into adulthood. Beyond this, our findings indicate that the relevance of basic mathematical skills as building blocks for later more complex mathematical skills replicates for large-scale online learning of mathematics in intelligent tutor systems. We further substantiated this hierarchical development of mathematics in study using computational modelling to simulate the learning of basic arithmetic. Nevertheless, our findings also indicate that learning mathematics in intelligent tutoring systems hinges significantly on system design as well as the involvement of teachers; who should be cautious when using generative AI for teaching advice. As obvious from the above, my Loughborough journey was diverse on content, theory, and methods, but also successful - not only number-wise - but also regarding people I met, things I learned, and experiences I made. Thank you!