Blog Post written by our clients Jo Van Herwegen and Laura Outhwaite

 

IOE Researchers and Computer Science students join forces to bring the Maths@Home app to more families. 
Maths@Home is a free app targeted at parents and professionals who wish to help children to develop their maths skills through fun learning activities. 
The Maths@Home app gives adults a bank of ideas for various games and interactions, which can be played during their daily family routines using resources easily available in and around the home. 
The app has been co-created with parents by Prof. Jo Van Herwegen and Dr. Laura Outhwaite from IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society. 
The latest version of the app has been made possible through collaboration with the Computer Science student team. Maths@Home app design The Maths@Home app includes 25 maths games with four levels, based on mathematical development research and are aligned with the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework from the Department for Education. 
The games are designed to support a broad range of mathematical skills, including number, arithmetic, and spatial skills, in 2-6-year-olds, or older children with learning disabilities. 
The latest version of the Maths@Home app had three aims: 
  1. To improve the user experience and front-end design
  2. To create back-end data collection capabilities 
  3. To launch an Android version, and work on the existing iOS version:
The Computer Science student team have designed and programmed a functional front and back-end, including the implementation of  25 math games for children and a simplistic user experience and navigation between pages. The data collection can now be done through a database and Google Analytics. The app they coded works in both android and iOS, and they are in the process of launching it on both platforms. 

Reflections on our collaboration so far This project brings together students and academics from across different disciplines in UCL. 
Dr. Laura Outhwaite: “Working with the Computer Science students has been a real pleasure. They have been able to take our goals and ambitions for the Maths@Home app and turned them into a reality. We are excited to be able to launch the Android version of the app and reach even more families”. 
Prof. Jo Van Herwegen: “I have been very impressed by the professionalism and knowledge the students have brought to this project. They have helped us to really improve the app which will help to secure the future of the app as well as the mathematical abilities of many young children.”

Project webpage: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/departments-and-centres/departments/psychology-and-human-development/child-development-and-learning-difficulties-lab/educational-technologies-and-apps/mathshome 
Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/maths.athome/ 
Apple store (previous version): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mathsathome/id1559748210









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