SBIR Phase II: Making Math Intuitive, Creative, and Social in Tile Farm Classroom

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project creates a math education app aimed at transforming the way young children relate to math. Poor math achievement and negative attitudes towards math are pervasive in the United States and have been problems for decades. The app's design is based on a wealth of educational theories known to have a positive influence on students' mathematical and scientific achievement. The app teaches math in a way that makes math learning more intuitive and engaging, while simultaneously teaching young children to become persevering and confident problem solvers. Furthermore, the app links math to diverse subjects such as art, social studies, computer science, and engineering. Ultimately, the app aims to inspire a new generation of problem solvers contributing as creative professionals in every field from science to art. This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project will create a novel mathematics pedagogy that places a unique emphasis on the visualization of math, student creativity, and the development of students' problem-solving skills, while using artificial intelligence to optimize student learning and motivation. Furthermore, the technology will allow for young children to design, build, and share their own math learning games and puzzles, and provide a powerful social learning experience. The app’s design is based on a wealth of theoretical evidence that has shown how early development of children's spatial, numeracy, and critical thinking skills can have a profoundly positive influence on students' mathematical and scientific achievement later in life. The novelty of this approach opens doors to a wide variety of research opportunities in education research and neuroscience. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.