Maths Meets Psychology: How Shad Moarif Mixes the Two at Karismath

Shad Moarif runs the Karismath website where he offers lessons that explains Mathematics visually, using the principle of Visual Mediation and UDL (Universal Design in Learning). Check out the free Karismath You Tube videos which are perfect for breaking down concepts for visual learners. Find out how Karismath uses maths mixed with psychology to “turn minds.”

Tell us about yourself.  Why did you develop Karismath?

I have background in Psychology, Reading and Mathematics. It’s a unique combination which makes it possible for me to come at Mathematics teaching from 3 perspectives:

(a) the remedial one, from my experience with Special Needs learners (in Language Acquisition)

(b) the mathematical one, in terms of familiarity with the language of mathematics, its developmental and progression aspects etc.

(c) familiarity with learning theories, cognitive development and it various stages, researching into how growing minds learn numerosity, numerical reasoning, processing numbers etc.

I developed Karismath to help a population of school-going children who are underachieving, or chronically failing Math. This happens to be over 75% of the global population. I developed Karismath after I realised that it is not the learners who are failing Mathematics, but Mathematics…and the way it is taught…that is failing the children. They needed a new start, a fresh new break away from the old ways. I think Karismath offers them this opportunity.

Do you have children? What are their ages?

Yes, I have two girls, well…they’re young women, now. One works in Washington DC, the other in London, UK.

What is the best part of developing new resources for Karismath?

The creative element, the designing of the exercise templates and seeing how all the visual scaffolding “fits” together with the target concept, like a key in a lock. Until I hear it “click” I keep trying.

Which is your personal favorite feature of the Karismath program? Why?

The animation and the imagery. Because the imagery has to capture a way of thinking. It has to capture the thinking that goes on behind the Maths, behind those numbers and their connections with other numbers. Capturing all that visually is exciting because I am always getting challenged by “how do I distill this concept visually?” Or “How do I illustrate this transition from a to b, visually, using movement?”. And if I can do it in such a way that the most implicit thinking is made explicit, then I feel I have succeeded.

How do you personally support your own children’s maths learning?

Fortunately, they are both successful professionals in their own fields, and I hesitate to approach them with an offer of a Maths lesson!

Which other maths program do you admire? Why?

I like what Sal Khan is doing with the Khan Academy Math. I admire it because he is doing exactly what I was doing 30 years ago: teaching exactly the same way. So I could be accused of admiring him for really very ego-centric reasons. But his over-million-user success has doused water on a lot of the fancy bells-and-whistles hi-techie-talk approach to Mathematics Teaching programs and efforts. I admire his Math because it is his content that is so compelling, so simple and inviting. He makes what feels hard, feel easy. I think any program that does that deserves admiration.

What are your predictions for the next year for developments in maths programs?

Very hard to predict. I think technology, especially the Applications on mobile devices will be playing a larger role. There will be a continuing movement towards developing new courseware in Maths, courseware that gives a new face, a new look-and-feel to Maths learning. Maths will start to develop an appeal for a broader and deeper segment of the majority of Maths-haters.

As well as the free You Tube videos, Karismath offers great value packs of animated maths demos and worksheets for parents to use with their visual learners.