Mathemundus 1.0

mathe4primar | «Mathemundus—the Little Teaching Workshop on Lake Wörthersee» is a development project aimed at applying mathematics education content in practice.

Mathemundus complements the mathe4primar development project (Center for Elementary Mathematics Education) and is intended to expand the existing offerings:

• Mathematics | Mathematics Education for Elementary School Teachers;
• Mathematics Education in Professional Development;
• Independent Mathematics Teaching Workshop;
• NAWImix Phenomenon Circles – Understanding Mathematics;
• Math Café for Teachers.

The main goal of «Mathemundus,» in line with the «Hands-on, Minds-on, Hearts-on» philosophy, is discovery-based learning through working with educational materials. The learning materials are designed to support the understanding of mathematical structures and to encourage students to engage with mathematical problems. The preparation of substantive, subject-specific tasks enables and encourages students to engage with the subject matter.

As part of the project, students are empowered to create such learning materials themselves and to incorporate subject-specific pedagogical insights gained during their studies. In addition to subject-specific pedagogical insights, the development of these materials is based on the analysis of existing learning materials and the integration of (their own) teaching experiences.

An in-depth exploration of learning materials and the conceptual planning of such materials facilitates the preparation of substantive assignments and learning environments for one’s own classroom instruction. Discovery-based learning and working in learning workshops are thus not only practiced by students in the classroom but are also firmly embedded in the training of prospective teachers. Based on the planned evaluation of the project, «Mathemundus» derives its innovative character primarily from the collaboration and exchange between teacher education, professional development, and practical implementation, along with the associated transfer of knowledge.

By the end of the project, Mathemundus should be characterized by a diverse and expandable repertoire of prepared mathematical learning environments, which are housed at the Carinthia University of Education and its partner institutions in the form of prototypes. «Mathemundus» content will subsequently be made available on a website in the form of prepared materials (research assignments, worksheets, mathematical background, and required supplementary materials) and, through references and links to other digitally accessible learning content, provide a resource pool for subject-specific mathematics instruction.

Using the GECKO platform, the competency model outlines the skills that students can acquire as part of the project.