MetaMath Project Overview

Sergey SosnovskySaarland University

Project Profile

• Funded under Tempus IV program (6th call)• Overall budget: 1,144,862.55 €• 10 partners:

- 2 from Germany- 1 from France- 1 from Finland- 6 from Russia

• Start: 01/12/2013• Finish: 30/11/2016

- 8 Universities- 1 Research Institute- 1 NGO

Project Motivation and Approach• High-quality Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)

education is crucial for economic development of Russia

• Deterioration of STEM education in the 90s• Increasing demand for a new generation of engineers now

• Mathematics an Statistics are the fundamental cornerstones of STEM education

• EU and US are heavily investing in ICT-enhanced Math educational solutions and have promising results

• The project approach is two-fold1. Structural improvements of Math curricula in line with the Bologna

principles and best EU practices2. Introduction of new educational technologies for new pedagogical

scenarios

Project Objectives

• Implement a comparative analysis of the national math curricula for STEM disciplines

• Modernize math and statistics curricula for a selected set of engineering and sciences studies

• Localize the European TEL tools for partner universities• Build a capacity in local universities to effectively implement,

maintain and develop TEL for math education.• Conduct pilot a evaluation of the impact of the new curricula

on the quality of studies in math and statistics, as well as on quality of engineering and sciences education in general.

• Disseminate the results of the project.

Project Structure

Phase1: Best practice exchange and pedagogical

preparations

Phase2: Curricula reforms and

capacity building

Phase3: Pilot implementation and evaluation

Phase 1: Best practice exchange and pedagogical preparations

• Define a methodology for Math curricula comparison

• Conduct a series of case studies between EU and Russian Universities on the compatibility of their STEP curricula

• Define recommendations for structural curricula improvements in line with the Bologna principles

• Identify the areas most suitable for the introduction of TEL tools.

Phase 2: Curricula reforms and capacity building

• Each Russian University will select 2 STEM curricula and develop updated versions

• Special attention will be paid to the introduction of TEL methods and tools

• eLearning math content and appropriate assessment material will be selected

• Math-Bridge platform will be localized and teachers will be trained to use it

Phase 3: Pilot implementation and evaluation

• Updated courses will be implemented within Math-Bridge

• Large-scale evaluation studies will be designed and conducted in order to verify the impact of the updated, Math-Bridge-enhanced curricula

• The results will be analyzed and disseminated

WP1: Math Curricula Comparative Case Study

• Activity 1.1 Case Studies methodology development• Activity 1.2 Learning European experience• Activity 1.3 National math curricula workshops• Activity 1.4 Case Studies writing and evaluation

• Lead partner: USAAR • Duration: M1-M12• Deliverables:

– D1.1 Comparative Case Studies Methodology– D1.2 Series of study visits– D1.3 Comparative case studies

WP2: Math Curricula Modernization

• Activity 2.1 Curricula modernization• Activity 2.2 Math teaching materials selection• Activity 2.3 European expert evaluation• Activity 2.4 National expert evaluation

• Lead partner: TUT• Duration: M6 – M18• Deliverables:– D2.1 Revised Math teaching plans within STEM curricula– D2.2 Math teaching materials selected– D2.3 National curricula workshops

WP3: Tools and capacity building

• Activity 3.1 Technical capacity building• Activity 3.2 Content localization• Activity 3.3 Math-Bridge localization, installation and

testing• Activity 3.4 University teachers training

• Lead partner: DFKI• Duration: M15 – M24• Deliverables:

– D3.1 Localized Math Content– D3.2 Localized e-Learning tools for mathematics– D3.3 Training programme for University teachers

WP4: Math Curricula Pilot Implementation and Evaluation

• Activity 4.1 Evaluation methodology• Activity 4.2 Two semester pilot implementation• Activity 4.3 Processing and presentation of the evaluation results• Activity 4.4 Post-evaluation update for the curricula and

accreditation preparation

• Lead partner: NNSU• Duration: M25 – M33• Deliverable:

– D4.1 Evaluation methodology– D4.2 Evaluation Report– D4.3 Documents for curricula accreditation

WP5: Dissemination and Sustainability

• Activity 5.1 Regional website "Mathematics and Statistics for Technical and Engineering Education in Russia”

• Activity 5.2 Annual project workshops• Activity 5.3 Traditional dissemination• Activity 5.4 Final Project Conference• Activity 5.5 Revision of national standards and accreditation

• Lead partner: USAAR• Duration M1 – M36• Deliverables:

– D5.1 Website "Mathematics and Statistics for STEM"– D5.2 Dissemination events report– D5.3 Promotional materials– D5.4 Inter-University Memorandum– D5.5 National accreditation applications

WP6: Quality control, Management and Coordination

• Activity 6.1 Quality Control Framework• Activity 6.2 Project Management Framework

• Lead Partner: USAAR• Duration M1 – M36• Deliverables:– D6.1 Quality Control Framework and Report– D6.2 Project Management Framework and

Reports

Universität des Saarlandes (USAAR)

• Overall Project Coordinator (planning, coordination and monitoring, quality control, financial management, reporting, etc.)

• E-Learning capacity building programme in partner Universities

• Leading the case studies• Developing the methodology for impact evaluation• Assisting 4 Russian students to get enrolled for 1

semester at USAAR• Steering the overall project dissemination

German Research center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI)

• Represents technological expertise covering broad range of ICT-enabled learning methods for Math education

• Maintains the largest repository of online learning resources for mathematics covering the University curricula in the majority of the EU countries (Math-Bridge)

• Leading localization of Math-Bridge and its content• Technical support of the activities in WP4 and WP5,

troubleshooting

Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL)

• Represents a classical example of European Math education with specific focus on school education

• WP1: Contributes to the Case Studies methodology development and evaluation; Provides its case description

• WP2: advising and consulting; quality control• WP3: contribution to the teachers training• WP4: consulting; assisting 4 students to get enrolled in

Lyon for 1 semester• WP5: participation in dissemination• WP6: contribution to management and quality control

Tampere University of Technology (TUT)

• Represents a case of a European math curricula and application of TEL in math education in STEM disciplines

• WP1: Contributes to the Case Studies methodology development and evaluation; Provides its case description

• WP2: Leading WP2• WP3: contribution to the teachers training• WP4: consulting; assisting 4 students to get enrolled in

TUT for 1 semester• WP5: participation in dissemination• WP6: contribution to management and quality control

Association for Engineering Education of Russia (AEER)

• All-Russian public network with 63 regional departments• The main goal of AEER is to facilitate the improvement and

development of engineering education in Russia.

• WP1: contributes to the Case Studies overseeing quality aspects• WP2: oversee quality assurance issues in all curricula

modernization efforts• WP3: ensuring "accreditability" of the modernized curricula• WP4: contribution to the evaluation methodology, mainly in

assessment methods aspects• WP5: leads nation-wide dissemination• WP6: contribution to the management

Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University (LETI)

• Is an agenda-setting University in the Russian STEM education, house of the UMO - Academic-Methodical Unit - for STEM education (electronics, radiotechnics, biomedical technics, automation). It will define its additional role as a country-wide multiplier.

• WP1: oversee academic soundness and acceptance of the curricula reforms; participates in Case studies, leads one national case development, integration and translation of the resulting book into Russian;

• WP2: selects 2 STEM curricula and revise them using best European and national experiences, participate in the content selection for TEL introduction;

• WP3: builds eLearning capacity (purchase and installation of equipment, training of personnel); contributes to Math-Bridge localization in Russia;

• WP4: contributes to preparation and implementation of the evaluation; selecting 3 students for studying in Europe

• WP5: contributes to dissemination in Russia• WP6: contribution to the management and quality control activities

Nizhny Novgorod State University named after Lobachevsky

• NNSU is an example of a large National Research University with a federal mission and visibility offering the spectrum of STEM studies (the central priority - Information and Communication Technologies), it will play a role of a local coordinator in Russia

• WP1: participates in Case studies, leads one national case development, integration and translation of the resulting book into Russian;

• WP2: selects 2 STEM curricula and revise them using best European and national experiences, participate in the content selection for TEL introduction;

• WP3: builds eLearning capacity (purchase and installation of equipment, training of personnel); leads Math-Bridge localization in Russia;

• WP4: contributes to preparation and implementation of the evaluation; selecting 3 students for studying in Europe

• WP5: contributes to dissemination in Russia• WP6: contribution to the management and quality control activities

Tver State University (TSU)• Represents particular case of a middle-size regional University focused

on the regional needs.

• WP1: participates in Case studies, leads one national case development, integration and translation of the resulting book into Russian;

• WP2: selects 2 STEM curricula and revise them using best European and national experiences, participate in the content selection for TEL introduction;

• WP3: builds eLearning capacity (purchase and installation of equipment, training of personnel); contributes to Math-Bridge localization in Russia;

• WP4: contributes to preparation and implementation of the evaluation; selecting 3 students for studying in Europe

• WP5: contributes to dissemination in Russia• WP6: contribution to the management and quality control activities

Kazan National Research Technical University named after A.N.Tupolev

(KAI)• One of the oldest and largest technical Universities of Russia with a

particular area of specialization: Aeronautics and Space. It represents a particular case of a large technical University.

• WP1: participates in Case studies, leads one national case development, integration and translation of the resulting book into Russian;

• WP2: selects 2 STEM curricula and revise them using best European and national experiences, participate in the content selection for TEL introduction;

• WP3: builds eLearning capacity (purchase and installation of equipment, training of personnel); contributes to Math-Bridge localization in Russia;

• WP4: contributes to preparation and implementation of the evaluation; selecting 3 students for studying in Europe

• WP5: contributes to dissemination in Russia• WP6: contribution to the management and quality control activities

N.P. Ogarev Mordovia State University (MSU)• Represents a particular case of a large classical University (National

Research University) serving a particular region.

• WP1: participates in Case studies, leads one national case development, integration and translation of the resulting book into Russian;

• WP2: selects 2 STEM curricula and revise them using best European and national experiences, participate in the content selection for TEL introduction;

• WP3: builds eLearning capacity (purchase and installation of equipment, training of personnel); contributes to Math-Bridge localization in Russia;

• WP4: contributes to preparation and implementation of the evaluation; selecting 3 students for studying in Europe

• WP5: contributes to dissemination in Russia• WP6: contribution to the management and quality control activities