University of Utah Researcher Joins $3.75 Million IES Project on Generative AI and Math Education
University of Utah College of Education Assistant Professor Chenglu Li is serving
as a co-principal investigator on a $3.75 million Institute of Education Sciences
(IES) project investigating how generative artificial intelligence can support mathematics
learning for middle school students.
The project, MAGICAL-Math: Multimodal Artificial Generative Intelligence Championing Advanced Learning
Sciences for Math Education, is led by Wanli Xing of the University of Florida and is funded through IES’ Transformative
Research in the Education Sciences program. The three-year project began Sept. 1,
2026, and includes the University of Utah, University of Florida, Carnegie Learning,
and other collaborators.
MAGICAL-Math will develop multimodal, AI-powered “teachable agents” designed to help
students become active instructors of AI rather than passive recipients of information.
The research team will examine how these tools can support mathematics achievement,
student interest, engagement, and teachers’ experiences, using generative AI in the
classroom.
Chenglu Li will serve as the University of Utah site principal investigator, with
College of Education Associate Professor Tracy Dobie as a co-principal investigator.
The University of Utah’s portion of the collaborative project comes in at $634,318.
The project will include usability and feasibility studies, followed by a randomized
controlled trial involving middle school students and teachers in Florida. Researchers
will examine whether MAGICAL-Math improves student learning and engagement while also
studying the costs and practical requirements of implementing the technology.
This award builds on Li’s body of research into how AI can be used to improve mathematics
teaching and learning.
About the University of Utah College of Education
The University of Utah’s College of Education advances teaching, learning, and leadership
through research, practice, and community engagement. The college prepares educators
and leaders who make meaningful contributions locally and globally.
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