We hope you’re as excited as we are for Pi Day, but this year is extra special for talkSTEM because, beginning March 14, 2026, the MathFinder app will be freely available nationwide in the App Store on iPads!
What is MathFinder?
The MathFinder app was developed to be a powerful tool for informal Math and STEM learning, gamifying math and taking education outside of the classroom. The app combines research-backed learning principles with an engaging storyline to get kids in grades 3-9 interested in the math concepts that are already all around them – they just need to stop, observe, and learn.
Players can take their customizable avatar to virtually explore a variety of places, make math connections, win points, and gain badges. The goal? Advance in their mission on planet Earth by understanding the world through the universal language of mathematics.
How It Works
The app will initially be configured with geolocation information for Math Walks at our partner sites in the Dallas-Fort Worth area including the zoo, arboretum, art museum, flight museum, playgrounds, parks, downtown neighborhoods, and more.
Game users can also virtually visit almost 300 locations in DFW across 40 different sites while playing. MathFinder locations range from public artworks to soccer fields, from gardens to kitchens – anybody who likes considering and posing thoughtful questions and making interesting, rewarding (and sometimes hidden) connections to Math and STEM will enjoy MathFinder. Anyone from any geographic location across the country can enjoy playing the game virtually while those in the DFW area can play the game on the iPads whilst in each of the specific sites as a fun way to explore their physical environment.
Why It Works
Aside from being fun, MathFinder is also innovative in the way that it approaches math education.
- Relevant: By defining math broadly to include patterns, geometry, ratio, scale, and estimation of quantity, MathFinder ties mathematical concepts to ideas and places that learners see around themselves every day.
- Place-Based: MathFinder engages learners and keeps their attention by mixing digital content with the physical environment to connect them to their surroundings.
- Learner-Driven: By using the research-backed method of positing questions in order to learn, called “problem-posing”in the research literature, MathFinder engages learners and inspires them to think deeply about the underlying concepts being taught, always going one step further and asking one more question. to read more of the research publications that have been written, click the button below.
Who It’s For
While anybody and everybody can enjoy MathFinder, this game is designed for those in grades 3 – 9 and their families.
It is especially great as a supplement to settings such as summer camps or after-school programs as well as providing extended learning opportunities for classrooms.
The app can be used in STEM classrooms as part of formal instruction, allowing students to virtually explore places throughout DFW or wherever they are. Or it can be used in-person in a variety of DFW community locations, as students explore familiar DFW spaces and make connections to math and science!
This work was supported by the National Science Foundation under DRL 2115393. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. We are also grateful to all our partner sites. For more information, visit gomathfinder.org.
