Maths for all, without borders
Imagine you have brought together a group of experienced maths teachers to create a new teaching tool. Imagine that they are also supported by researchers in mathematical education. And imagine that everything they produce will be completely free to use. It may sound far-fetched, but this is the Akelius Math Learning Lab.
THE AKELIUS FOUNDATION, headed up by property magnate Roger Akelius, began developing language courses for refugees in the wake of the 2015 refugee crisis. Today, around 60 people – mainly based in Berlin – work to produce language courses in partnership with UNICEF. These courses are available online for anyone to use. But Roger also has a passion for mathematics, so a new initiative has now been launched to produce maths teaching tools for refugees. At the end of last year, collaboration began between the Akelius Foundation and the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology.
Professor of Mathematics Samuel Bengmark is the director of the new collaboration. Together with a handful of colleagues at the Department of Mathematical Sciences and a team of newly hired maths editors, he has set up the Akelius Math Learning Lab. The eight new employees have mainly joined the project from schools, and have solid expertise within the field of education.
“There are two different groups that will collaborate on two tasks: creating material for learning maths and researching the material,” he explains.
THE LEARNING MATERIAL’S requirements are that it should be digital and available on a tablet. It should be possible to use the material in situations where there is no teacher available, for example in refugee camps. The material should also be available online, should work all the way from grade 1 through to upper secondary school, and should be available in several languages.
SINCE LAST SPRING, the Akelius Math Learning Lab has been reviewing existing textbooks, discussing and testing. The task involves a number of challenges, such as keeping the material sufficiently graphically simple to work on a tablet while also ensuring that it isn’t boring. The material is based on the Swedish curriculum, but will be adapted to work in different cultures and for a broad target group. This will be easier to test once the first part has been published.
“Another challenge is that we don’t know who will be using the material,” adds Fredrik Nordling. “After all, even if it’s maths for grades 1 to 3, which we’re working on right now, it could be a 15-year-old using it. Or a 25-year-old. So should we use teddy bears as symbols? In that case, maybe not.”
FINDING PEOPLE WITH the right skills has been extremely important, says Samuel Bengmark, who emphasises how pleased he has been with the outcome. The team members all have slightly different reasons for choosing to change careers.
“It was an opportunity to do something new and exciting,” continues Fred rik. “Samuel himself was also an important factor – we’ve worked together before, and that worked well.”
“I was attracted by the fact that there’s a clear purpose, and that we can be involved in developing something from scratch,” says Nina Franzén. “I also see it as a form of skills development.”
Touchingly, they all agree that they would not have chosen to join the project had been it a commercial teaching tool; they were attracted by the idea that it will be free for everyone to use. As well as refugee camps, they also see many other uses and are already collaborating with the Rescue Mission’s community schools in Gothenburg.
The fact that the Akelius Math Learning Lab consists of two different groups – the newly hired former primary and secondary school teachers and the mathematics researchers at the department – is something they all see as an additional strength. Cooperation between business and academia adds value for both groups.
“There’s a lot of research on digital tools that teachers can use in the classroom, but very little on this type of tool for self-study,” says senior lecturer Laura Fainsilber.
THE IDEA IS THAT PARTS of the new learning material will be launched in the spring, before being expanded over a five-year period. What happens next is not clear, but Samuel Bengmark says he believes it could also continue in the future.
“Our ambition is that it will be similar to the teaching materials for languages, which can be developed and can also include an exercise book and a box of physical items to help with maths teaching.”
Text: Camilla Persson
Photo: Malin Arnesson
WHAT: The Akelius Math Learning Lab is a collaboration between the Akelius Foundation and the Department of Mathematical Sciences, which is a joint department at the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology. The aim is to create a digital teaching tool for mathematics, and to research the material.
WHEN: The collaboration began in November 2023, and is a fiveyear project. The first part of the teaching tool will be ready for testing with the target group in spring 2025.
WHY: A teaching tool that can be used by everyone without a teacher being available could increase knowledge of maths among vulnerable groups who do not attend normal schools. It could also be used in other contexts, for example by schools that cannot afford teaching materials.
