Mathland: Constructionist mathematical learning in the real world using immersive mixed reality

Abstract

Mathematical experiences are intrinsic to our everyday lives, yet mathematics education is mostly confined to textbooks. Seymour Papert used the term ‘Mathland’ to propose a world where one would learn mathematics as naturally as one learns French while growing up in France. We built a Mixed Reality application that augments the physical world with interactive mathematical concepts to enable constructionist mathematical learning in the real world. Using Mathland, people can collaboratively explore, experience and experiment with mathematical phenomena in playful, applied and exploratory ways. We implemented Mathland using the Microsoft Hololens and two custom controllers to afford complete immersion through tangible interactions, embodiment and situated learning. Our preliminary study with 30 participants shows that a considerable percentage of participants found Mathland to not only be engaging (83%), but also efficacious in the areas of collaborative learning (92.8%), problem solving (96.6%) and mathematics education (90%).