MS21: Smartpool: Combining Pool Billiards and Mathematics
"The youth don't want to play billiards anymore and math isn't cool"
What will be the outcome when we combine billiards and math?
SmartPool is originally a Dutch initiative and was launched in June 2018. The Erasmus+ project SmartPool combines pool billiards with mathematics/arithmetic for young students (9 to 15 years). SmartPool's goal is to make beta courses more attractive through the combination with pool billiards. For schools, a curriculum will be developed in which the elements of pool have been translated into mathematical issues (for example, calculating with billiard balls (number concept and basic arithmetic), hitting the right point (geometry) or finding the correct angle (geometry with angles), for example by visualizing pool billiard situations. By introducing SmartPool, the pupils not only improve their skills in the field of mathematics and numeracy , but also improve their precision and concentration skills. With SmartPool, students can further develop all these skills in an accessible and fun way.
SmartPool Europe is a project of the European Pocket Billiard Federation, in cooperation with five National billiard federations and mathematics organisations, all across Europe. The expertise and networks of the billiard federations, the mathematics organisations EU-MATHS-IN and PWN (the Dutch Platform for Mathematics), combined with the research expertise of Mulier Institute guarantees good execution and dissemination.
In this mini-symposium, the SmartPool project will be explained in more detail. One of the objectives of the project is to interest secondary school pupils into mathematics, hopefully leading to more future researchers in the ECMI area of interest!
Tuesday, April 13, 10:20-12:00
- 10:20 Willem La Riviere, An Introduction to Smartpool
- 10:45 Ine Helvik, Mathematics through sports, the Smartpool project
- 11:10 Erik van Haren, The Mathematics behind Smartpool
- 11:35 Demonstration (via recorded videos)
Check the Project Webpage.
