MathSpring Mathematics Mentor

University of Massachusetts, Amherst

MathSpring Mathematics Mentor

Mathematics Mentor features multicultural AI-driven companions who encourage students and offer customized problem-solving strategies.

Amherst, MA, USA

USA

Not registered as any organization

We address inequitable access to high-quality mathematics education and social-emotional learning opportunities that disproportionately impact economically disadvantaged communities to benefit all students. In the USA, only 30-40% of elementary students achieve math proficiency, while 25% of middle schoolers experience math anxiety, manifesting as physical symptoms and avoidance behaviors. Post-COVID learning setbacks have widened achievement gaps, especially in underserved areas, despite STEM jobs growing three times faster and paying three times the median wage. Globally, Latin America faces severe challenges: approximately 75% of 15-year-olds do not reach basic math proficiency, with Argentina at 73% failing to meet this level. 31% of OECD countries meet proficiency level. This indicates that a substantial majority of students struggle with fundamental mathematical concepts necessary for real-life problem-solving. This creates compounding disadvantages in terms of limited career opportunities, reduced self-confidence, and diminished long-term achievement. Our solution addresses these interconnected factors - math anxiety, insufficient instructional quality, and limited access to personalized learning - through an AI-enhanced tutoring system that combines mathematics education with multicultural social-emotional learning support. Learning technologies are a potential scalable solution. Unfortunately, most learning technologies have been created in OECD countries, and have language and curricular difficulties to be implemented in Latin-America.

Our solution, MathSpring, is an adaptive, AI-powered learning platform that delivers personalized mathematics instruction alongside multicultural social-emotional support, specifically designed for underserved communities. MathSpring has 3000+ math problems and continuously monitors students’ engagement and emotional states in real time, adapting problem difficulty and providing immediate, targeted feedback. The platform features bilingual content and learning companions. We'll develop improved multicultural AI-driven synthetic companions who encourage students and offer customized problem-solving strategies. Using machine learning, MathSpring analyzes student responses to identify conceptual gaps and emotional obstacles, such as frustration or anxiety. When challenges arise, companions deliver tailored interventions, fostering perseverance and growth mindset as well as mathematical understanding. Teachers benefit from real-time analytics dashboards that highlight academic progress and social-emotional indicators, enabling timely, data-driven support. MathSpring is accessible on any internet-connected device, requiring minimal bandwidth, making it suitable for low-resource settings and seamless integration with existing school infrastructure. A 2019 pilot in Córdoba, Argentina, demonstrated significant gains in math performance and student perseverance using a localized version of MathSpring (Arroyo et al., 2023). With advances in generative AI, we are now expanding to support more Latin American regions, adding responsive, emotionally-aware, and culturally-adapted AI companions to further enhance engagement and learning outcomes

MathSpring serves students in grades 5-10 from economically disadvantaged communities where access to quality math education and social-emotional learning resources is limited. These students often attend schools with fewer experienced math teachers, outdated learning materials, and minimal personalized support—creating persistent achievement gaps that limit future opportunities. Our solution directly impacts: - Students who struggle with math anxiety and negative self-perceptions, providing them with emotionally responsive support that builds confidence alongside mathematical skills - Learners with diverse needs who benefit from personalized pacing and multiple problem-solving approaches that traditional classroom settings rarely accommodate - English language learners who can access content in their native language while building mathematical vocabulary - Students without home internet, through our offline functionality that ensures learning continuity MathSpring meaningfully improves learning by: - Increasing math proficiency scores by an average of 23% in pilot schools - Reducing math anxiety and improving persistence when facing challenging problems - Building foundational skills that expand future educational and career pathways - Developing transferable emotional regulation strategies that benefit students across academic and personal contexts Teachers also benefit from reduced preparation time and data-informed teaching strategies that maximize their impact with students who need it most.