A Math Tutor to Provide Support for Individual Learning Needs (MATHiL)
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Profile
- Project leadership
- Thomas Schmalfeldt (PHZH), Sascha Schneider (UZH)
- Project team
- Tobias Berner (PHZH), Corinne Leu (PHZH), Ömer Tugsad Akgül (UZH), Crisina Tulea (UZH), Sanha Lee (UZH)
- Organisational unit
- F-BW-BDW (Bildung und Digitaler Wandel)
- Project phase
- In progress (1.7.2025 – 30.6.2028)
- Project type
- Research & development project
- Funding
- Digitalization Initiative
Description
In the MATHiL project, we aim to provide tailored support to secondary school students with low achievement in mathematics by developing and deploying an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS). The project addresses the persistent deficits in mathematics education that often begin in primary school and become more pronounced in secondary school; it offers an innovative solution to this widespread problem.
Focusing on core mathematical skills - number concepts, place value systems, and basic arithmetic operations - the tutor is designed to aid students not only in class but also during individual study time, targeting and filling in their knowledge gaps. By combining instructional psychology, subject-specific pedagogical expertise and state-of-the-art technology, the project creates a personalised learning environment that detects errors early and provides individually-tailored support.
This project is particularly needed because it addresses socio-economically disadvantaged students who, in the previous school practice, were often left to catch up without additional support. Our platform provides for sustained effort because we offer an open platform where teachers can actively participate in the further development of the tutor and create comprehensive training opportunities for themselves and central practice partners of the Zurich Department of Primary Education We plan an iterative development process, in which the tutor is tested in practice and continuously improved, to help ensure the success of the project. MATHiL has the potential to make a significant contribution to equalising opportunities in the education system and to systematically and sustainably reduce deficits in mathematics.