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Past colloquia

May 05, 2026 - Dr. Valentin Katter (Bielefeld University)

AI in mathematics education: between practice and research

The integration of Large Language Models in the educational context is currently being discussed between the promise of highly personalized and adaptive support and the danger of substituting one's own thinking skills. This presentation examines the topic from two complementary perspectives.
In the research project CaTS (Chatbots as Tutors in Schools), 303 secondary school students worked on mathematical modeling tasks, supported either by ChatGPT Voice or human tutors. In a direct comparison, the human tutors proved to be superior - but what exactly makes the difference? With the concept of interaction granularity, a novel approach is presented that goes beyond pure performance comparisons and instead focuses on editing processes and usage strategies.
The KIVIMA teaching project, funded by the Quality Fund for Teaching at Bielefeld University, starts on the other side of the field. Student teachers use LLMs and so-called vibe coding to develop interactive visualizations for mathematics lessons, which are then tested with pupils in the teutolab mathematik. AI is not only critically examined here, but also constructively integrated into lesson preparation.
Both projects together invite discussion: What research methods do we need to fairly evaluate AI in the classroom and how can we meaningfully prepare teachers for its use?

December 11, 2025 - Sarah Gaiser (Stanford University)

Challenges and opportunities of outreach and education projects in the USA

American college and school life is portrayed a lot in the media, so that one often has the feeling that one is well acquainted with the actually foreign education system. But what does teaching at an American university actually look like? What do students learn in middle or high school? And how is a new generation inspired for science and STEM subjects?
After a brief overview of the American educational landscape, the lecture describes the structure and didactics of introductory physics lectures at Stanford University. These explanations serve as a basis for discussing the unique challenges American universities face in welcoming students from widely varying educational backgrounds.
In the second half of the talk, the focus shifts to various US-based physics outreach and education projects, explaining their target audiences and methods and highlighting international participation opportunities.

 

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November 11, 2025 - Prof. Dr. David Kollosche (University of Klagenfurt)

On mathematical work in mathematics didactics

In mathematics didactics, there are traditions such as material didactics that emphasize mathematical work. The lecture will address the following questions: What is meant by mathematical work in mathematics didactics? Why is it indispensable? Is there currently a lack of such research perspectives? How can it be distinguished from "normal" mathematical work and why is it mathematics didactics at all? The lecture is intended as a contribution to the methodology of mathematics didactics.

July 08, 2025 - Timo Senfleben (University of Leipzig)

Development of an escape game for problem-oriented mathematics lessons

Escape games have enjoyed great popularity in both analog and digital form for several years. The use of escape games in an educational context is increasingly coming into focus. In particular, the link between mathematics lessons and escape games is closer than it initially seems. A central similarity between escape games and mathematics lessons is the solving of problems, whereby this is an essential part of the fun of the escape game, whereas in school it is generally considered an unpleasant activity. The question inevitably arises as to whether it is possible to motivate mathematical problem-solving processes in a playful way with an escape game adapted to mathematics lessons.

In my dissertation project, I am therefore using the design research method to develop and research just such a game, which aims to initiate problem-solving processes in mathematics lessons in a playful way.
In my presentation, I will give a brief overview of the concept and questions of my work. I will then go into detail about the second design cycle. In this cycle, students played the escape game in individual and partner work and were videotaped in the process. This data was evaluated using qualitative content analysis. The results will be presented and discussed in the lecture.

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27 May 2025 - Dr. Corinna Hankeln (Dortmund University of Technology)

Making understanding visible - AI-supported diagnostic processes in mathematics learning

Learning mathematics requires far more than just memorizing procedures - building in-depth understanding is key. However, this aspect has often been insufficiently represented in digital diagnostic platforms to date. The presentation introduces the Assessment for Learning with AI project, which is researching how artificial intelligence can be used to gain insights into the thinking of learners. The focus is on approaches that increase the richness and diagnostic validity of learner responses: for example, through speech recognition to stimulate language production, automatic translations for the targeted integration of multilingualism or chatbots that create authentic communication occasions. In addition, new ways of evaluating (open) task formats will be demonstrated. Initial insights into the project illustrate the potential of AI-supported approaches for deeper, understanding-oriented diagnostics in mathematics lessons.

 

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April 22, 2025 - Simon Barlovits (Goethe University Frankfurt a. M.)

Mathematics outdoors: An evaluation of the Mathtrail method using the example of the MathCityMap app"

A variety of expectations are associated with learning mathematics outdoors, such as increasing motivation and promoting lifeworld relevance and modeling skills. One way of teaching mathematics outdoors is the so-called math trail method: this is a route consisting of several mathematical tasks relating to interesting and real-life objects. Learners can be supported in completing math trails by using their smartphones, e.g. the MathCityMap app.
The presentation will evaluate this math trail method. Based on a quasi-experimental study with 19 school classes, the question of the extent to which interest in math trails depends on smartphone use will be investigated. Furthermore, it will be investigated whether the interest in math trails depends on personal inclinations, e.g. the general interest in mathematics. Finally, it will be examined to what extent the use of the smartphone leads to greater success in terms of a higher solution rate.