From Framework to Feature: Examples of Culturally Responsive and SEL-Aligned Math Ed Tech in Action

• In Event: Unforgetting, Designing, Reimagining: Equitable Futures in Math Ed Tech for Teachers and Learners

Abstract

In this presentation, ed tech developers discuss how they operationalize culturally responsive and SEL-aligned principles, with demonstrations of product features in their tools. Products presented will include: (a) a generative gaming platform that transforms traditional school content into personalized adventures where learners embark on quests tailored to their interests and passions; (b) a lesson generation platform that enables teachers to quickly create culturally-relevant, standards-aligned content that centers African American history and culture; and (c) a math teaching simulation platform focused on building proficiency in teaching practices through individualized feedback and realistic representations of students. They will also discuss how, through research practice partnerships, they evaluate impact on teachers and students to surface design patterns that align with justice-centered teaching goals (e.g., contextualized math content, narrative variation, realistic and authentic models of diverse students). The work builds on equity-oriented design research (Scott et al., 2020), principles of culturally responsive computing (Eglash et al., 2013), and the Essential Characteristics framework and SEL guidelines shared in the previous presentations. By identifying specific product features that support culturally responsive and SEL-aligned practice, these platforms demonstrate how EdTech products can better support holistic math teaching and learning.

References
Eglash, R., Gilbert, J. E., Taylor, V., & Geier, S. (2013). Culturally responsive computing in urban, after-school contexts: Two approaches. Urban Education, 48(5), 629–656. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085913490557
Scott, K. A., Gallagher, D. J., & Mukhopadhyay, S. (2020). Equity-oriented design for learning: Addressing injustices with technology. Learning, Media and Technology, 45(4), 293–306. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2020.1816829

Authors

• Julie Jackson Cohen, University of Virginia

• Taylor Shead, Stemuli Studios

• Rachel Etienne, Reconstruction