AI and a New Era of Math Tutoring: Have We Seen This Movie Before?

Join author and respected mathematics expert Dr. John Woodward for a provocative look at how technology—from microcomputers to AI—has shaped, challenged, and often overpromised its impact on math education. Drawing on decades of research and classroom experience, Dr. Woodward explores how shifts in computing power, curriculum design, and student motivation has influenced what we teach, how we teach it, and why it matters.

This session will begin by drawing on historical trends in educational computing to today’s much discussed and possibly overhyped promise: Can AI tutor students in math in ways that match if not exceed human capabilities? Parallels to this kind of promise can be found during the last 45 years since microcomputers emerged in education in the early 1980s. Dr. Woodward will also drill down into what tutoring and curriculum mean in light of AI.
 

What You’ll Learn

• How technology has historically influenced math instruction—and what’s different about AI
• Why motivation and mindset matter more than ever in today’s tech-saturated classrooms
• Why tutoring students who are struggling with this week’s material in math is a different issue from meeting the instructional needs of students who are months or years behind grade level
• What educators should consider before adopting AI tools for math learning