IASC - Shape Creator Mobile: Bringing Math and Coding to Life in Low-Resource Settings
| Date | 25 Jul 2025 |
| Time | 14:00 GMT+02:00 - 15:30 GMT+02:00 |
| Level of instruction | Intermediate |
| Instructor |
Oluwaseun OwojaIye
Christopher Anand
|
| Registration fee | |
Abstract: Access to quality STEM education remains a major challenge in low-resource settings, where persistent shortages of qualified teachers and infrastructure significantly limit students’ learning opportunities. As of 2020, over 463 million school-aged children worldwide lacked access to computers or the internet. In 2016, only about 50% of secondary school teachers in Sub-Saharan Africa were considered qualified, with pupil-to-trained-teacher ratios averaging 43:1 in mathematics. The situation in computer science is even more critical: for example, in Zambia, here were only 482 trained computer studies teachers for over 6,000 learners, resulting in a ratio of nearly 200:1. Furthermore, many schools lack reliable electricity, internet connectivity, and devices, further excluding millions of children from meaningful engagement with STEM education. Given the high rate of smartphone ownership (54% ownership globally), we leverage this opportunity to create a tool that addresses some of these barriers. ShapeCreator Mobile is an innovative educational tool that provides an offline, low-data platform to help children develop foundational skills in mathematics and coding. Through a highly visual and interactive environment, ShapeCreator Mobile enables students to practice pre-algebra concepts and basic programming logic without requiring constant teacher supervision or heavy technological infrastructure. By empowering students to learn independently and creatively, ShapeCreator Mobile offers a scalable, inclusive solution for expanding access to STEM learning, particularly in low-resource settings where trained teachers and technological resources are scarce.
Instructors
About the instructor
Oluwaseun OwojaIye is pursuing a PhD in Computer Science with a focus on Educational Technology. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Ilorin, and a Master of Science Degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Toronto Metropolitan University. Building on this interdisciplinary foundation, Olu’s research focuses on scaling STEM education in resource-constrained countries by using digital tools optimised for mobile phones within a peer-led network. This approach bridges the gap caused by a shortage of qualified teachers and limited access to computers to empower young learners with the digital, communication, and leadership skills needed to thrive in an increasingly technology-driven world. By equipping students with a strong foundation in programming and Algebraic Thinking, her work helps prepare a new generation to take up digital jobs and careers, meeting the growing demands of the global digital economy. Olu’s ultimate goal is to expand the peer-led network to rural areas across Africa where these challenges are most acute, ensuring every young person has the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive through technology-enabled education. By fostering digital literacy and technical skills among underserved demographics, her work contributes to building a workforce that is ready to meet the demands of the future digital world, creating pathways to meaningful careers and economic empowerment
About the instructor
Computer science education, programming languages, domain-specific languages, compilers, high-performance computation, human-computer Interaction, applied optimisatIon, magnetIc resonance ImagIng, nuclear magnetic resonance, scanning electron microscopy, design thinking.