Sections
SCED 470 — Digital Technologies in Mathematics Education
Fall 2026 Syllabus · Boğaziçi University
This syllabus redesigns SCED 470 around a fully gamified, effort-based Experience Point (XP) system and repositions Generative AI as an active teaching collaborator alongside GeoGebra and CODAP, for the 12-week term beginning Tuesday, September 22, 2026.
1. Course Description & Objectives
SCED 470 trains pre-service mathematics teachers to design technology-rich instruction in which Generative AI is treated as an active teaching collaborator, not an add-on — used side by side with dynamic geometry (GeoGebra) and data-exploration (CODAP) environments to plan, differentiate, and assess mathematics learning for K–12 mathematics learners — your choice of elementary, middle, or high school (this course defaults to middle/high, but elementary is fine if you prefer).
The course extends TPACK (Mishra & Koehler, 2006) and SAMR (Puentedura, 2014) into an "AI-TPACK" stance and structures its objectives around the three progression levels of UNESCO's 2024 AI Competency Framework for Teachers — Acquire, Deepen, Create — spanning that framework's five domains: human-centered mindset, AI ethics, technical knowledge, pedagogical integration, and professional development.
Learning Objectives
| Phase (weeks) | UNESCO Level | You will be able to… |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1–4 | Acquire | Explain TPACK, SAMR, and the AI competency domains; operate GeoGebra, CODAP, and mainstream GenAI tools at a foundational level; state ethical guardrails for classroom AI use. |
| Weeks 5–9 | Deepen | Co-design differentiated, standards-aligned mathematics tasks in genuine partnership with AI; critically evaluate AI-generated content for mathematical accuracy, bias, and pedagogical soundness; use CODAP to build data-driven inquiry lessons. |
| Weeks 10–12 | Create | Independently design, and publicly defend the following week (Week 13), an original AI-integrated mathematics unit that treats GenAI as a collaborator rather than a shortcut, and articulate a personal philosophy of ethical AI integration. |
The Three-Pillar Toolkit
| Pillar | Role in the course |
|---|---|
| GeoGebra | Dynamic geometry, algebra, and function visualization |
| CODAP | Data exploration and statistical reasoning |
| Generative AI (ChatGPT, Gemini, NotebookLM, etc.) | Co-planning, differentiation, formative-assessment generation, and reflective dialogue partner |
Unlike a course that grades a single high-stakes final project, SCED 470 is assessed through the XP system in Section 3: visible, continuous effort compounds across all twelve weeks.
2. Logistics
Meeting Times & Locations
| Day | Time | Room | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | 11:00–13:00 | EF 103 | Theory & discussion — frameworks, readings, critical dialogue |
| Thursday | 11:00–13:00 | ETB 415 | Hands-on lab — GeoGebra, CODAP, and AI-co-design missions |
Course slot: TTThTh 3434 · 12 weeks · 24 sessions · begins Tuesday, September 22, 2026.
Instructor
| Instructor | Assoc. Prof. Serkan Özel |
| ozels@bogazici.edu.tr | |
| Phone | 212-359-6592 |
| Office | ETA-B 412 |
| Office Hours | Thursdays 13:00–14:00 (immediately after class) or by appointment |
Communication
All announcements, missions, and rubrics are posted on this website and in your shared Google Drive folder, and your individual XP tracker is shared there too — check them before each session. Email is answered within 48 hours on class days.
Prerequisites
No prior programming experience required — all tools are taught from the ground up.
3. The Gamified XP Assessment Framework
Traditional weighted percentages are discarded. Every student starts at 0 XP and earns their way to a final letter grade through visible effort — attendance, participation, hands-on missions, and iterative revision. The design follows the experience-point course model pioneered by Lee Sheldon's The Multiplayer Classroom, which separates effort/behavior from output quality so the two cannot substitute for each other.
Full task-by-task instructions and grading rubrics live on the Tasks & FAQ page — this section covers only how the points add up.
If you're joining during add/drop (Week 2), see the Add/Drop Grace note in Section 5 — you won't be structurally penalized for missing Week 1.
3.1 The XP Economy (1000 XP total)
| XP Category | Points Possible | What Earns It |
|---|---|---|
| Presence & Engagement | 250 | Attendance (100) + quality-tiered participation (150) across all 24 sessions |
| Weekly Missions (×7) | 210 | Seven 30–60-minute hands-on tasks (GeoGebra / CODAP / AI co-design), 30 XP each |
| Major Assignments (×3) | 510 | Digital Toolkit Portfolio (150) · AI Professional Ethics & Practice Portfolio (180) · Capstone (180) |
| Growth Loop (revision bonus) | 20 | Recovered XP from resubmitted Missions |
| Peer Feedback & Collaboration | 10 | Structured peer-review rounds |
| Total | 1000 |
3.2 Presence & Engagement, in Detail
- Attendance (100 XP): 4 XP per session attended on time and in full (up to 96 XP across 24 sessions), plus a 4-XP Perfect Attendance bonus. Every student holds 2 no-questions-asked Wildcards — an absence covered by a Wildcard costs no XP.
- Active Engagement (150 XP): each session is scored 0–7 XP by tier — Silent/Absent (0), Observer (2), Contributor (5), Catalyst (7, for contributions that move the discussion forward with evidence, a critique of an AI output, or a connection to the readings) — capped at 150 XP for the semester.
3.3 The Engagement Multiplier (how passivity is penalized)
A student's Presence & Engagement total (max 250) sets an Engagement Tier that multiplies every XP earned from Weekly Missions and Major Assignments combined (max 720 XP). A student who submits flawless work but stays passive in class cannot multiply their way into a top tier — the ceiling is structural, not a deduction.
| Engagement Tier | Presence & Engagement XP | Multiplier on Missions/Majors | Maximum Attainable Final XP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fully Present | ≥ 212 (85%+) | × 1.00 | 1000 (AA is reachable) |
| Intermittent | 150–211 (60–84%) | × 0.93 | ≈ 910 (reaches BB/BA) |
| Passive | < 150 (under 60%) | × 0.87 | ≈ 805 (reaches CC/CB) |
Even a full semester in the Passive tier doesn't sink a student structurally — the floor sits in the DC range and the ceiling reaches CB/CC, so missing class costs real ground without making the course mathematically unwinnable.
3.4 The Growth Loop — Rewarding Iterative Effort
Any Weekly Mission scored below full marks may be revised once, within 7 days of receiving feedback. A resubmission recovers up to 50% of the XP lost, drawn from a shared, semester-long Growth Loop pool of 20 XP. This is the mechanism through which "continuous engagement" and revision are explicitly rewarded rather than merely tolerated.
3.5 XP-to-Letter-Grade Thresholds
| Final XP | Letter Grade | Level Title |
|---|---|---|
| 950–1000 | AA | AI Co-Design Master |
| 900–949 | BA | Digital Pedagogy Architect |
| 850–899 | BB | Confident Practitioner |
| 800–849 | CB | Developing Practitioner |
| 700–799 | CC | Emerging Practitioner |
| 650–699 | DC | Novice |
| 600–649 | DD | Beginner |
| Below 600 | FF | Incomplete Quest |
Bands mirror Boğaziçi's official AA–FF scale, scaled ×10 onto the 1000-XP economy.
4. 12-Week Course Schedule
Tuesdays (EF 103) carry theory and discussion; Thursdays (ETB 415) are hands-on labs, Missions, and Major Assignment work sessions. Only task names are listed here — full instructions and rubrics live on the Tasks & FAQ page. Thursday, October 29 falls on Cumhuriyet Bayramı (Republic Day) — that session becomes an optional, asynchronous bonus side quest instead of an in-person class.
The Capstone Showcase & Final Defense meets once more the following week — Thursday, December 17 — after the last regular class, run as an extended mini-seminar with built-in breaks and refreshments rather than a tight back-to-back slot, so there's still grading time between the written submission and the live defense.
| Wk | Tuesday (EF 103) — Theory/Discussion | Thursday (ETB 415) — Hands-On | Task Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep 22 — Course Launch: redesigning math teaching for the AI era; XP system onboarding | Sep 24 — Toolkit Sandbox intro | Mission 1 |
| 2 | Sep 29 — Foundations: TPACK & SAMR → "AI-TPACK" (Mishra & Koehler, 2006; Puentedura, 2014) | Oct 1 — GeoGebra Micro-Build | Mission 2 |
| 3 | Oct 6 — AI Literacy for Math Teachers: prompt engineering (Mollick, 2023) | Oct 8 — AI Worksheet Critique | Mission 3 — due Mon, Oct 12 · 08:00 |
| 4 | Oct 13 — Data Moves & Statistical Reasoning: CODAP pedagogy | Oct 15 — CODAP Mini-Investigation | Mission 4 — due Mon, Oct 19 · 08:00 |
| 5 | Oct 20 — UNESCO AI Competency Framework: human-centered mindset & ethics (UNESCO, 2024) | Oct 22 — Major 1 Work Session & Peer Check (Toolkit Portfolio) | Major 1 due Mon, Oct 26 · 08:00 |
| 6 | Oct 27 — Critical Perspectives on EdTech (Selwyn, 2016) | Oct 29 — NO CLASS (Republic Day). Optional async bias-audit side quest | — |
| 7 | Nov 3 — Universal Design for Learning + AI for differentiation | Nov 5 — Differentiation Mini-Task | Mission 5 — due Mon, Nov 9 · 08:00 |
| 8 | Nov 10 — AI-Powered Formative Assessment & real-time feedback | Nov 12 — AI Formative-Assessment Mini-Task | Mission 6 — due Mon, Nov 16 · 08:00 |
| 9 | Nov 17 — Computational Thinking in Mathematics (Weintrop et al., 2016) | Nov 19 — Major 2 Work Session & Peer Review (AI Ethics Portfolio) | Major 2 due Mon, Nov 23 · 08:00 |
| 10 | Nov 24 — Backward Design for AI-Integrated Units: capstone framing | Nov 26 — Computational Thinking Mini-Task | Mission 7 — due Mon, Nov 30 · 08:00 |
| 11 | Dec 1 — Ethics, Equity & the Future of Math Teaching: synthesis fishbowl | Dec 3 — Capstone Studio & "Guild Critique" peer prototype review | — |
| 12 | Dec 8 — Capstone Studio II: final revisions, AI-usage statement, defense prep | Dec 10 — Capstone unit plan (due the following Monday); course wrap-up, evaluations & XP tally preview | Major 3 unit plan due Mon, Dec 14 · 08:00 |
| 13 | — (no regular class) | Dec 17 — Capstone Showcase & Final Defense (make-up/finals-period session) | Major 3 defense |
This plan is tentative — always check this website for the latest updates.
5. Course Policies
Late Work Under the XP System
Deadlines: from Mission 3 on, every Mission and Major is due at 08:00 (Istanbul time) on the Monday after its Thursday lab (see the Task Due column in Section 4 and the Tasks & FAQ page); Missions 1–2 were due at 23:59 on their Thursdays, and the Dec 17 defense is in person. Grace Tokens and late penalties below count from the deadline shown for each task. Why Monday 8:00 am and not Sunday 23:59? This is intentional. A Sunday-midnight deadline rewards staying up late. Monday 8:00 am gives the night owls among you a real weekend and a good night's sleep, then a fresh-eyed final read before you submit. Same weekend, better work.
- Each student holds 2 Grace Tokens — a 48-hour extension on any Mission or Milestone (not the Capstone), requested with a one-line email to the instructor, no XP penalty.
- Beyond Grace Tokens, late Missions/Milestones lose 10% of that item's XP per day, up to 5 days; after day 5, the item earns 0 XP unless the absence is university-excused.
- The Growth Loop (Section 3.4) remains available on late-but-accepted work.
Joining During Add/Drop (Week 2)
If you officially add SCED 470 during the add/drop period, Week 1's Attendance and Active Engagement points are simply excluded from your Presence & Engagement total — not counted as a zero — so your Engagement Tier is calculated from the week you actually joined. You also have until the end of Week 2 to submit Mission 1, with no late penalty.
Academic Integrity & Generative AI Use
Your submissions must reflect your own understanding — AI is a collaborator you direct, not a ghostwriter.
| Encouraged | Prohibited |
|---|---|
| Brainstorming and idea exploration | Submitting AI-generated text/code as your own |
| Concept clarification (AI as tutor) | Having AI write entire paragraphs or drafts |
| Drafting outlines and structure | Using AI to answer quiz/exam/assessment questions |
| Grammar and style polishing | Paraphrasing sources via AI without reading them |
| Summarizing long readings (you still read and cite the original) | Including unverified AI citations — AI can fabricate sources |
| Debugging code or GeoGebra/CODAP scripts |
AI Usage Statement: every submission that used GenAI must end with a short statement naming the tool(s), how they were used, and one or two key prompts. Undocumented AI use is treated as an academic-integrity violation, carrying penalties up to a failing grade for the assignment or the course.
No Edits After the Deadline. Once a Mission's or Major's deadline has passed, the version present in your submission at that moment is the version that gets graded. Continuing to edit a Google Doc, Slide, GeoGebra file, or CODAP document linked in a past-due submission — even quietly — is treated as a late resubmission, not a grading formality.
Accessibility & Accommodations
Students with a documented disability should contact Boğaziçi University's disability support office and inform the instructor within the first two weeks so accommodations can be arranged for missions, milestones, and the capstone defense.
Wellbeing
The XP system is designed to reward sustainable effort, not burnout — use your Grace Tokens and Wildcards; they exist so one hard week does not sink your semester.
6. Core Readings & Resources
Readings (kept deliberately light — 6 core pieces, one every 1–2 weeks)
Post your initial reaction in your shared Google Drive folder (Week 4 is the exception: a Brisk Teaching chat replaces the written reaction) by Tuesday 8:00 AM of the assigned week.
| Week | Reading |
|---|---|
| 2 | Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017–1054. + Puentedura, R. (2014). SAMR and TPCK. |
| 3 | Mollick, E. (2023). The Homework Apocalypse. One Useful Thing. |
| 4 | Hudson, R. A., Mojica, G. F., Lee, H. S., & Casey, S. (2025). Data moves as a focusing lens for learning to teach with CODAP. Computers in the Schools, 42(3), 276–301. (Download the PDF (or open it in Drive)) This week, instead of posting a written reaction: read the article, then chat about it with the Brisk Teaching reading chat by Tuesday 8:00 AM. |
| 5 | UNESCO (2024). AI Competency Framework for Teachers. UNESCO Publishing. |
| 6 | Selwyn, N. (2016). Minding our language: why education and technology is full of bullshit … Learning, Media and Technology, 41(3), 437–443. |
| 9 | Weintrop, D., et al. (2016). Defining Computational Thinking for Mathematics and Science Classrooms. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 25(1), 127–147. |
Optional prep: for some weeks, I'll share an AI-generated reading/discussion primer via Brisk Teaching (an AI-chat platform) ahead of the Tuesday discussion — use it if you'd like a lighter first pass before the full text. These primers are always optional; skipping one costs no XP. (Week 4 is the exception: the Brisk Teaching reading chat is required there and replaces the written reaction.)
Software & Platforms
- Dynamic Mathematics: GeoGebra
- Data Analysis: CODAP
- Generative AI: ChatGPT, Google Gemini, NotebookLM (publicly available tools)
- Course hub: this website and your shared Google Drive folder
Design Inspiration for the XP Framework
- Sheldon, L. (2011). The Multiplayer Classroom: Designing Coursework as a Game.
- Gonzalez, A. Gamification Grading — XP. Mr. Gonzalez's Classroom.