Math EdVenture is a summer camp for middle school students, supported by a National Science Foundation (NSF) research initiative. In the summer of 2025, forty students in grades 6–8 participated in a week-long program designed to foster collaborative problem solving and engage with STEM phenomena through mathematical modeling.
The camp’s instructional design is informed by research on cooperative learning and its positive impact on students’ mathematical problem-solving in diverse classroom settings. Hesse et al. (2015) propose a framework for collaborative problem solving that identifies teachable and assessable social and cognitive skills—such as participation, perspective taking, planning, and knowledge building—as essential for effective teamwork. This perspective is echoed by PISA (2015), which highlights collaborative problem solving as a critical 21st-century competency involving communication, coordination, and shared problem representation in both educational and real-world contexts.
Building on insights gained from Math EdVenture, the next phase of this research focuses on the development of MathVC (Mathematics Virtual Classroom)—an innovative AI-powered learning platform designed to simulate collaborative problem solving in a digital environment. Developed by researchers and educators at George Mason University and William & Mary, MathVC features virtual classmates with diverse personalities and skill levels who work alongside students to tackle math challenges. The platform offers a personalized learning experience by adapting to each student’s pace and responses, while maintaining the essential element of collaboration through peer-like interactions. By engaging in teamwork, negotiation, and consensus-building with AI partners, students not only strengthen their mathematical reasoning but also develop the interpersonal and cognitive skills necessary for effective collaboration in both virtual and real-world settings.
Dr. Ziyu Yao – Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science, George Mason University, responsible for LLM system development and the project supervision;
Dr. Jennifer Suh – Professor of Math Education, CEHD, George Mason University, responsible for math education theories and human subject studies;
Dr. Janice Zhang at William & Mary Computer Science, responsible for HCI, human-AI interaction design and human subject studies.
Patti Freeman – Middle School Teacher
Heather Postlewait – Middle School Teacher
Keira Sheldon – Middle School Teacher
Linda Gillen – Middle School Teacher
Misheel Batzorig, Graduate of CEHD Elementary Program and Classroom Teacher
Gonzalo Cruz Leon, Current CEHD Elementary Teacher Candidate
Zachary Jinsuk Suh, Junior in the Costello College of Business
Samuel L Miller, Doctoral Student in Computer Science
Desmond Alexander Mcglone, Doctoral Student in Math Education Leadership