Plenary Lectures
The International Program Committee is delighted to announce that the following scholars will be presenting Plenary Lectures at ICME-15.
Jill Adler
University of the Witwatersrand
Immediate Past President of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction, South Africa
Jill Adler is a Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits). Jill was president of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (ICMI) 2017-2020 and held the Wits SARChI Mathematics Education Chair from 2010-2019. Jill’s research focuses on teaching and learning in multilingual classrooms and teacher professional development. She is the recipient of numerous awards for her work in mathematics education, including the 2012 Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) Gold Medal for Science in the Service of Society and the 2015 ICMI Hans Freudenthal medal in recognition of a major cumulative program of research.
Iddo Gal
Associate Professor (PhD)
University of Haifa, Israel
Iddo Gal is an Associate Professor (Retired), Dept. of Human Services, University of Haifa, Israel. Iddo enjoys multidisciplinary interests; his activities focus on the development and assessment of statistical literacy and adult numeracy, and on management of service processes and empowerment of workers and clients of service organisations. Among other things, he chaired the Numeracy Expert Group of the OECD Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC), is a Past-President of the International Association for Statistical Education (IASE), past-Editor of the Statistics Education Research Journal, and has worked with UNESCO on assessing adult numeracy for the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.
Jason Sharples
Professor, Bushfire Dynamics at University of New South Wales
Director, UNSW Bushfire Research Group
Professor Jason Sharples is a mathematical scientist at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). As an internationally recognised expert in dynamic bushfire behaviour and extreme bushfire development, his research has extensively influenced policy and practice in Australia and internationally. He uses complex mathematical and computational models to understand the dynamics of wildfire propagation and to pinpoint geographic features and weather conditions more likely to generate extreme bushfires. Jason is involved in several national research projects and contributes to international professional dialogue. A Bundjalung man, Jason says Indigenous Australians have been innovators and scientists for thousands of years, a heritage that can continue today, especially through fire and land management.
Rina Zazkis
Professor, Faculty of Education
Canada Research Chair in STEM Teaching and Learning
Associate Member, Department of Mathematics, SFU, Canada
Rina Zazkis is a Professor of Mathematics Education at the Faculty of Education and associate member in the Department of Mathematics at the Simon Fraser University, Canada. Her research is in the area of undergraduate mathematics education, with a general focus on mathematical knowledge of teachers, and the ways in which this knowledge is developed, modified, and used in teaching. She holds a position of Tier 1 Canada Research Chair, a prestigious recognition of excellence in research and research training. She serves as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Mathematical Behaviour.
Plenary Panels
Plenary panels facilitate shared understanding between different communities of mathematics educators by providing a forum to debate a contested area of work in the field. ICME-15 will see panellists address two major challenges currently facing mathematics educators across the globe:
Plenary Panel 1: Mathematics education effectively responds to humanity’s problems
This panel will take the form of an Oxford debate. Panellists will explore the interaction between mathematics education and issues of enormous importance to society, such as climate change, pandemics, international conflicts, and ongoing inequities. What role, if any, should mathematics education play beyond ensuring that countries have mathematical literate citizens? What are the ethical and practical challenges?
Plenary panellists:
- Chair | Prof. Francis Su, Harvey Mudd College
- Member | Prof. Rochelle Gutierrez, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Member | Mr Max Lenoy, the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA)
- Member | Prof. Jaysree Subramanian, SRM University Andhra Pradesh
- Member | Prof. Paola Valero, Stockholm University
Plenary Panel 2: What counts as evidence in mathematics education?
Policy makers, teachers, and other stakeholders require evidence in support of calls for change in mathematics teaching and learning. This panel will explore what counts as evidence in mathematics education, including forms of evidence, and the implications for research agendas and methodologies that arise from the need for evidence. How can mathematics education researchers influence the understanding of what constitutes quality evidence? How can we ensure that research evidence is heard, understood, and recognised?
- Chair | Prof. Bharath Sriraman, The University of Montana
- Member | Prof. Fou Lai Lin, National Taiwan Normal University
- Member | Prof. Adrian Simpson, Durham University
- Member | Prof. Trena Wilkerson, Baylor University
- Member | Prof. Despina Potari, University of Athens
